What is the freemartinism name Origin?

I am veterinary student and I know all about freemartinism. But I can't found any reasonable thing about its name origin on net, I just found:


[Late 17th century. Origin uncertain: perhaps from free + Irish mart “cow.”]

What is the freemartinism name Origin?
My understanding is that 'mart' refers to a cow used for meat. So you may be on the right track there…obviously a freemartin’s not going to be any good for breeding, so maybe ‘free meat’??





I'm with sas, I love all the quaint veterinary terms, especially in large animal medicine...I've got an old veterinary manual somewhere dating from about 1870 and it's just priceless!!


sas: "practice is even better!" Are you one of the few real vets who put in an appearance here?





Hope you're enjoying vet school. How long have you got to go? I graduate in 5 weeks time!
Reply:Gaelic mart is heifer, so I guess she is a free heifer, in these liberated times with no worries about birth control.


Just kidding. about the last half. I love these antique terms, too, and then there are the local ones which are much touted in the James Herriot books. I mean, we all know what "withers" is (the high point of the shoulder area), so why is "cast her withers" a prolapsed uterus? Fistulated withers, collywobbles, logy . . . cow and horse words are the best.


Hope you are having fun in vet school, practice is even better!





Yes, Loz, I am a "real" vet, but do alternative medicine. You are graduating in 5 weeks- did you do boards yet?