Who would have thought that the origin of an English word about good breeding, lineage and ancestry would be a French bird with big feet?
Apparently, the English word “pedigree” comes from the French ‘pied de grue’ or ‘foot of the crane’, probably because a simply drawn family tree looks a bit like the foot of a bird.
So what about you and me? If we traced back our line to its beginnings, would we find a big-footed French bird or something equally as unexpected and entertaining? Ask Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, who traced back his family’s roots and discovered himself to be a descendant of a Turkish refugee!
The history of your family is a great mystery and, like all great mysteries, there are plenty of surprises to be had.
A few ways to find out a bit more about who you are:
ask your grandparents to tell you about your family
look up the meaning of your surname
go to see a palm reader
go to a genealogy website
Have you discovered anything? Let us know
