#32: God Bless America

Americans sure do love their bald eagles. As symbols of the country, these magnificent birds have come to be regarded very highly by many Americans. But looking at them may have prompted some confusion: why are they called bald eagles if they are definitely not bald?

The answer to that question definitely has to do with the etymology of the word bald, although there is some disagreement as to the exact nature. It may have to do with the fact that older meanings of the word bald could refer to having something white on the head. Other people say it’s a shortening of piebald, which refers to something that has dark and light coloring together.