I was in #Toronto last week for a conference; I always take at least some of my gear for off-hours exploring. Met some grey squirrels. This new mama was looking a bit rough (unsurprising, as anyone with newborns will tell you)--I learned from a squirrel aficionado that mama squirrels will pull out their fur to make a nest for their babies, since they often nest in cold spaces. Gives new meaning to parents who say their kids make them want to pull their hair out!

#WildlifePhotography

The English word 'fee' has the same ancestor as German 'Vieh', Dutch 'vee', and Swedish 'fä', which all mean 'livestock'.

More distantly, these words are related to 'feudal', 'fief', and even 'peculiar'.

Other members of this huge word family include Italian 'pecora' (sheep), Latin 'pecūnia' (money), and Sanskrit 'páśu' (livestock).

My new graphic tells you how exactly these words are related, why their means appear to be so different, and how 'fee' could get its current meanings.