haunch

WOTD – 4 August 2006    

English

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French, from a Germanic source, probably Frankish.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /hɔːntʃ/, /hɒntʃ/
• (US) IPA: /hɔntʃ/, /hɑntʃ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

haunch (plural haunches)

1. (anatomy) The area encompassing the upper thigh, hip and buttocks on one side of a human, primate, or quadruped animal, especially one that is able to sit on its hindquarters.
2. The loin and leg of a quadruped, especially when used as food.
3. (architecture) A squat vertical support structure.

Quotations

				1735	18?? 1855 1894	1916 1918
ME «	15th c.	16th c.	17th c.	18th c.	19th c.	20th c.	21st c.

• 1726, Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels, Part IV, Chapter II

  But I had no time to pursue these reflections; for the gray horse came to the door, and made me a sign to follow him into the third room where I saw a very comely mare, together with a colt and foal, sitting on their haunches upon mats of straw, not unartfully made, and perfectly neat and clean.

• 18?? — John Greenleaf Whittier, The Garrison of Cape Ann

  On the rough-hewn oaken table the venison haunch was shared.

• 1855 — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Song of Hiawatha, III

  And the rabbit from his path-way
  Leaped aside, and at a distance
  Sat erect upon his haunches.

• 1894 — Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book

  Now these are the Laws of the Jungle,
  and many and mighty are they;
  But the head and the hoof of the Law
  and the haunch and the hump is -- Obey!

• 1916 — Wilfred Owen, The Wrestlers

  While Heracles, - the thews and cordage of his thighs
  Straitened and strained beyond the utmost stretch
  From quivering heel to haunch like sweating hawsers.

• c.1918 — Carl Sandburg, Fog

  The fog comes on little cat feet.
  It sits looking over harbor and city
  on silent haunches and then moves on.

Translations

area encompassing the upper thigh, hip and buttocks

• Armenian: ազդր (hy) (azdr), զիստ (hy) (zist), բարձ (hy) (barj)
• Finnish: lonkka (fi), lanne (fi)
• Latin: femur (la) n

• Russian: ляжка (ru) (ljážka) f
• Slovak: bedro (sk) n, šunka (sk) f (colloq.)

loin and leg of a quadruped, especially when used as food

• Armenian: բուդ (hy) (bud)
• Finnish: takaneljännes (fi)

• Italian: coscia (it) f
• Slovak: stehienko (sk) n

squat vertical support structure

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

• German: Schoß m, Lenden f pl

• Japanese: 臀部 (ja) (でんぶ, denbu)
• Kurdish: navteng (ku) f, newq (ku) f