Thomas Coxey asks: Where did the cockroach get its name?
Thomas, Pest cockroaches have lived with people of many cultures perhaps before language developed. Here is a link to the common names given to cockroaches in different cultures: http://open-dictionary.com/Cockroach Some common names have some suggestive associations. (1) Water Bug. (2) The German cockroach, Polish cockroach, Russian cockroach, Crotton bug all refer to the same species Blattella germanica because one community wanted to name it after something they despised. (3) Some dominant societies have named their local pest cockroach after their oppressed native population. This practice is a sad reflection of how far prejudice has driven our common language. Our common name ‘cockroach’ shares sounds with Dutch ‘kakkerlak’ and Spanish ‘cucaracha’ and the Spanish dance the cucaracha suggests the vigorous stamping of a homeowner on the pests. The origins of the names are entwined in early cultural history and only careful etymological and sociological study might discover the origi
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