Well, maybe. There's also a competing hypothesis that says it's the other way around, i.e. "bear" is derived from "brown"; the old word for "bear" became taboo, possibly for fear that speaking the beast's name would summon it. Either way, the fear of bears has certainly left a mark on the Germanic languages.
Well, maybe. There's also a competing hypothesis that says it's the other way around, i.e. "bear" is derived from "brown"; the old word for "bear" became taboo, possibly for fear that speaking the beast's name would summon it. Either way, the fear of bears has certainly left a mark on the Germanic languages.