# What's the -ine word for goat?



## aj47 (Oct 31, 2016)

Bovine is for cattle.  Ursine is for bear.  What is the word for goat?


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## Ptolemy (Oct 31, 2016)

If my genealogy is up to par shouldn't it be Caprine? Since its sub family is Caprinae.


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## Phil Istine (Oct 31, 2016)

Looks like it's "hircine".
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/hircine?s=t


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## Phil Istine (Oct 31, 2016)

Ptolemy said:


> If my genealogy is up to par shouldn't it be Caprine? Since its sub family is Caprinae.



Indeed, caprine does look more definitive than my hircine

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/caprine?s=t


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## Ariel (Oct 31, 2016)

That may be due to the etymology of the word "goat." From Wikipedia: "To refer to the male, Old English used _bucca (giving modern buck) until ousted by hegote, hegoote in the late 12th century. Nanny goat (females) originated in the 18th century and billy goat (for males) in the 19th."_


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## Cran (Oct 31, 2016)

Both caprine and hircine work, both are recognised adjectives relating directly to goat. The differences come down to the effect you are wanting: 

from caprine (caprinae) we get caper - playful antics

hircine when applied to men means lustful or smelly - the dirty old goat.


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## aj47 (Oct 31, 2016)

I'll be referring to goats' milk.   Neither is exactly what I'm wanting so I'll try each and see which I like better.


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## GKGhost (Oct 31, 2016)

astroannie said:


> I'll be referring to goats' milk.   Neither is exactly what I'm wanting so I'll try each and see which I like better.



If you want milk specific it would likely be hircine. There is hircic acid in goat's milk which happens to sometimes give it the rather "goat" smell. 


However, generally, one doesn't write _the calf was drinking bovine milk _or the _cub was supping on ursine milk. _The species should be introduced prior, and occasionally after, and thus making the mention of bovine or ursine alongside milk obsolete.


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## aj47 (Nov 1, 2016)

It's a human drinking it.  And it's poetry.


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## bobo (Nov 1, 2016)

(you don't give out infos without hard pressed - don't you :friendly_wink
Since it's poetry, you may be could use the French word 'chèvre' for goat - giving lait de chèvre or *chèvre milk *(in the usual frenlish  .
There's also a latin possibility: lac caprinum - and an italien one: *latte caprino* (sounds fancy, eh ??).
(don't kill me - just trying to help 
:hi:


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## Sleepwriter (Nov 1, 2016)

I would say fine, as in they make fine BBQ


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## aj47 (Nov 1, 2016)

bobo said:


> (you don't give out infos without hard pressed - don't you :friendly_wink



:lol:



> Since it's poetry, you may be could use the French word 'chèvre' for goat - giving lait de chèvre or *chèvre milk *(in the usual frenlish  .
> There's also a latin possibility: lac caprinum - and an italien one: *latte caprino* (sounds fancy, eh ??).
> (don't kill me - just trying to help
> :hi:



No killing.   I appreciate your interest in helping but I asked for what I needed.  I wanted the word to go with *bovine*.  

The poem is written and can be read here.


EDIT:  I don't know why it lost your font in the second quote.  I tried to fix it manually ... and failed.


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