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While the names don't really "mean" anything, Moore did name them poetically to imply how special they were. In general, you can look at the names like this:
Dasher, Comet, Cupid: Names that imply speed, quickness, and flight ["Cupid" has wings].
Dancer, Prancer, Vixen: Names that imply grace and nimbleness [a "vixen" in this sense is a female fox].
Donner and Blitzen: Originally "Dunder and Blixem," the Dutch words for "Thunder & Lightning," names that imply power and strength.
So when Clement C. Moore named the reindeer, he named them to poetically imply what the reindeer were like, flying through the night: powerful, quick, and nimble.
Names originated from the popular children's story - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas - supposedly written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1823. However recently in 2000 an English professor has proved that the original Christmas rhyme was written by Major Henry Livingston, Jr. (1748-1828) in 1807 and called - Account of a Visit from St. Nicholas. Moore got credited with the nursery rhyme after an acquaintance published it in a newspaper. Over the years he made many alterations to it, which explains why there are various spellings of the reindeer names - Donner means thunder in German and Donder means thunder in Dutch.
What does Rudolf mean?
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What is the ninth reindeer called that pulls santas sleigh?
Which reindeer do you mean, as any could be classed as 9th. Here are the names of ALL his reindeer:DasherDancerPrancerVixenCometCupidDonner (variously spelled Dunder and Donder)Blitzen (variously spelled Blixem and Blixen)Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
What is the meaning of each reindeer?
I do not think they mean anything
Where did Santa's reindeer get their names?
~Santas reindeer are named~Ruldolph/Ruldolf {people spell it differently}cupidcometblixendancervixenprancerdasherdonnerTHATS ALL THE REINDEER {9}
Which of santas reindeers is the meanest?
dasher he is mean
Have many reindeer does santa have?
The question is unclear as many people use "hoof" differently. Some use it to mean the entire foot, while others use it to mean just the toes. Reindeer have 2 large toes and 2 small toes on each foot. If you are using "hooves" to mean feet, they each have four, just as any other reindeer would. Total, that's 32 hooves, unless you count Rudolph, which would make it 36. If you mean hoof as a modified nail at the end of a toe, then if you count Rudolph, then there would be 144 hooves.. Reindeer have four toes on each foot, and each toe ends in a nail. Thus each reindeer has 16 hooves. The only animals which have only four hooves per animal are equines, who have only one toe per foot.
What do the names of Santas reindeers Donner and Blitzen mean?
Two of the reindeer names, Donner/Donder and Blitzen, are often the source of confusion, misspelling, and misinformation. The short facts are these: Donner/Donder and Blitzen were named ''Dunder'' and ''Blixem'' (the Dutch words for ''thunder'' and ''lightning'') in the original printing of "A Visit From St. Nicholas." In reprints of the poem, the names became ''Donder'' and ''Blixen,'' then ''Donder'' and ''Blitzen'' (the latter being German for ''lightning''). By the time Johnny Marks wrote "Rudolph," it was ''Donner'' and ''Blitzen'' (possibly because ''Donder'' was musically awkward). See Snopes.com for a thorough discussion.
What are reiendere called in Australia?
If you mean reindeer, then Australians call them reindeer. They are not native animals in Australia.
What does je suis caribou mean?
I am reindeer
How many reindeer does he have total?
You mean Santa?
What does the name gurtej mean?
it means reindeer of guru
What does the Swedish word ren mean?
Reindeer or clean
What reindeer plays mean tricks on the elves?
Rudolph
