Why the 'Dogwood' Has No 'Bark' by Rob Kyff on Creators.com

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Why the 'Dogwood' Has No 'Bark'

Savoring the lovely blossoms of the dogwood on a spring evening might make you wonder how such a beautiful tree acquired such an ugly name. At least two theories for the origin of "dogwood" have been proposed, and only one involves dogs.

Centuries ago, one theory suggests, people believed you could rid a dog of fleas by bathing the beast with a potion made from the bark and leaves of the dogwood tree.

Today you'd have to purchase this "All-Natural, Special Formula" shampoo for $39.99, but back then its ingredients literally grew on trees. So the tree that produced the pooch potion came to be called a "dogwood."

But others pooh-pooh the shampoo theory as a sham. They say the wood of the dogwood tree was strong and hard, perfect for making arrows, tool handles — and daggers or "dags." So the tree itself, this theory goes, came to be called "dagwood," which evolved into "dogwood."

Clearly, one of these derivations is barking up the wrong tree. As a fan of the old Blondie cartoon strip featuring the hapless Dagwood Bumstead, I'm going with the "dagwood" theory. Besides, it's quite common for English speakers to change unfamiliar parts of words, such as "dag," to more common English words, such as "dog."

"Belfry," for instance, came not from "bell" but from the French "berfroi," a wooden siege tower.

Similarly, "crayfish" derives not from "fish" but from the Middle English "crevis."

Several other trees and shrubs bear the names of prominent scientists.

Magnolia — This lovely tree with its showy white, yellow, rose or purple flowers is named for the French botanist Pierre Magnol (1638-1715). In 1703, another French botanist, Charles Plumier, honored Magnol by giving his name to a flowering tree on the island of Martinique.

Forsythia — This shrub with its bright yellow flowers takes its name from the Scottish botanist William Forsyth, a royal head gardener and founding member of the Royal Horticultural Society.

Wisteria — This climbing shrub, which inspired "Wisteria Lane" on the TV show "Desperate Housewives," bears the delightful name of Caspar Wistar. During the early 1800s, Wistar was a professor of anatomy, midwifery and surgery at what was then the College of Pennsylvania, where some say he also coined the term "Desperate Midwives."

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Conn., invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via e-mail to Wordguy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. To find out more about Rob Kyff and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.