On Sat, 9 Nov 2013 Nick Maclaren wrote:

In article ,
Sacha wrote:

How many British people learn German when starting to read, I wonder.

Er, the word in question is "Fuchsia" - how many people learn that
when starting to read? :-)

Ah but you had the root.

Eh? I learnt the word Fuschsia six years after learning to read!

In the West Country, yes, I would expect most primary school children
to hear and know the word - it has become a very common and obvious
hedgerow plant. But elsewhere? I wouldn't expect them to hear it
unless they associate with gardeners and/or have a set text that
uses the word (perhaps as a name, but it is rare).

I think we're at cross purposes. I was referring to your having
learned how to pronounce 'Fuchs' correctly thus leading on to knowing
about Dr Fuchs and Fuchsia. No? I think I need some aspirin!

Probably, but yes. I was 9 or 10 by the time I learnt the word
Fuschsia, those not doing well on the savanna! By that stage,
one of my schoolbooks was Die Geschichte von Herrn Reineke, I had
come across the name Fuchs (e.g. Klaus of that ilk) and I knew that
plants were often named after people. It was bleeding obvious!

What, the Beatrix Potter story? I thought for a minute you might have
been reading Reineke Fuchs, Goethe's re-telling of the old French fable
of Reynard the Fox.

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK