_Etymological Traces of the Social Position of our Ancestors._--I remember
reading an account of the traces of the social position of our Saxon
ancestors yet remaining in our English customs, which interested me much at
the time, and which I would gladly again refer to, as, Captain Cuttle's
invaluable maxim not being then extant, I neglected "making a note of it."
It described the Norman derivation of the names of all kinds of _meat_, as
beef, mutton, veal, venison, &c.; while the corresponding _animals_ still
retained their original Saxon appellations, ox, sheep, calf, &c.: and it
accounted for this by the fact, that while the animals were under the care
of the Saxon thralls and herdsmen, they retained of course their Saxon
names; but when served up at the tables of their Norman lords, it became
necessary to name them afresh.
I think the word _heronsewes_ (cf. Vol. iii., pp. 450. 207.; Vol. iv., p.
76.) is another example, which are called _harnseys_ at this day in
Norfolk; as it is difficult, on any other supposition, to account for an
East-Anglian giving a French appellation to so common a bird as the heron.