Donkeys

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A domesticated member of the horse family, known for its long ears, typically used as a working animal for carrying loads or transporting goods
2. A resilient equine often kept for labor in agriculture, recognized for its strength, endurance, and ability to navigate rough terrain
3. This animal is characterized by its gentle nature and intelligence, commonly associated with hard work and patience in various cultures

Etymology: The most striking thing about "donkeys" is that the animal's name was, for a time, the more polite option, and the word "ass" fell out of favour partly because of how it sounded. "Ass" had long been the standard English name for the animal, but its homophony with "arse" made it increasingly awkward in polite company, and "donkey" gradually took its place. The origin of "donkey" itself is uncertain: it may come from a Middle English word for a small dun-coloured horse, "donekie," a double diminutive built from "dun" plus the diminutive suffixes "-ock" and "-ie," or it may derive from the given name Duncan. Comparable forms such as "dunnock" suggest the dun-colour link is plausible. "Donkey" first appeared as slang in the late eighteenth century, and it took a long time to become a respectable everyday term. The same pattern of a common word displacing an older one because of a vulgar sound-alike appears in "coney" giving way to "rabbit." "Donkeys" is simply the plural of "donkey," formed by adding "-s" in the usual way.

Synonyms: asses, burros