befer

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befer, m.n: beaver. (BEH-ver / ˈbɛ-vɛr)

Medieval manuscript image of an indigo, rather un-beaver-like beaver biting off its own testicles beside a tree; a hunter with a spear watches, while a hunter with an ax points to the beaver, his face turned to his companion.
Aberdeen Bestiary; England, c. 1200; Aberdeen University Library, MS 24, f. 11r. [abdn.ac.uk]

One thought on “befer”

  1. I keep forgetting that Europe used to have beavers. I wonder if there are other words in Old English that capture (preserve?) animals that have become extinct or very endangered over the centuries.

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