A was an ant
(from an
illustrated alphabet poem by Edward Lear)
How many times do we curse these industrious little creatures
when they find their way into our homes and despoil our food? For once they
have laid their trail, their fellows will follow it relentlessly, laughing with
their tiny ant stridulations at our feeble efforts to deter them.
A mediaeval name for the ant is ‘pissemire,’ originating from
‘pisse,’ meaning urine, and ‘mire,’ an old Scandinavian word for ant (‘myre’
in Danish, ‘myra’ in Swedish)
Literally, pismire means urinating ant. It is associated with
the pungent aroma of anthills saturated with the formic acid ants secrete.
Pismire was used pejoratively. An ant is small and
insignificant, so to call someone a pismire was to draw attention to their worthlessness.
The modern form of pismire is pissant.
‘Emmet’ is another name for an ant. The emmet is presented in heraldry as a signifier of industry and wisdom. In 1610, John Guillim of the English College of Arms wrote: ‘By the Emmet or Pismire may be signified a Man of great Labour, Wisdom, and Providence in all his Affairs, and of a pregnant and ready Memory.’
Emmet is also a Cornish (UK) dialectical word for tourists or
incomers. Incomers are people who were not born in the county but have moved to
live there.
