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Piles of scat in nature are a wealth of information to biologists, naturalists, and researchers. The Sioux called bison dung “nik-nik” which refers to any bovine feces. The plains Indians used bison chips or dung for fuel when wood was scarce. Whether humans were the hunter or potentially the hunted, dung piles along the path alerted many astute hunters to danger or reward. By evaluating the warmth and freshness of a dung pile, a hunter could know how close the bear or elk might be. By paying attention to poop on the path, skilled hunters could know which animals were in the area. Cherry pit-laden bear poop (Image credit, Why Identify Wildlife Poop?Īnimal poop identification has been an important tool since the beginning of time. Although this bit of fun seems unnecessary when there are already so many word choices preserving and utilizing Latin is important to scientists of all stripes. Therefore, the chosen medical/scientific term for an experiment based on poop is in fimo. If fimus was good enough for Virgil, it should be good enough for current usage.

Fimus – the term used by Roman writers Virgil, Livy, and Tacitus.Stercus ¬– the common Roman term for poop, but evolved into a curse word.Merda – remains a Romance language word for poop, but relates to the smell or stink.Laetamen – seemed to most often be used in farming and animal dung.There were 4 Latin words that referred to poop, laetamen, merda, stercus, and fimus. This required a thorough exploration of the Latin words for poop. Recently a Classics Professor teamed up with doctors to produce an etymologically correct medical term for the experiment on human poop. Evaluating poop tells researchers and doctors much about our bodies and diseases.

Scatology and coprology are both derived from Greek root words for poop. Whether you call it scat, dung, turds, fecal matter, excrement, droppings, crap, number 2, take a dump, bowel movement, stool, waste, or simply the “s” word, most people know exactly what you are referring to. Poop… perhaps no other word in the English language has more euphemisms than poop. For both animals and humans, poop is an important and natural function, and with the right tools, it can reveal a treasure trove of information. Still today, doctors often ask patients when their last bowel movement was. People believed you could tell fortunes or the future by evaluating someone’s poop. The ancient Chinese, Egyptians, and Greeks all analyzed human feces in an attempt to diagnose and treat all nature of illnesses. Analyzing poop is as old as pooping itself. Scatology or Coprology is the study of poop or excrement.

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