A caller from Deer River, Minnesota, has lots of experience raising ruminants and wonders if the word ruminate, as in “to ponder or muse about something” stems from the image of such an animal chewing regurgitated cud. Indeed it does. In classical Latin, the word ruminare could mean either “to chew cud” or “to turn over in one’s mind.” Similarly, the English verb to browse originally referred to the action of an animal feeding on the buds and leaves of trees and bushes. This is part of a complete episode.
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