Horn !! ~ "உனக்கென்ன கொம்பா முளைத்து இருக்கு"

A horn is a permanent pointed projection on the head of various animals that consists of a covering of keratin and other proteins surrounding a core of live bone.  This post has nothing to do with Horn, the sound making device on vehicles that alert others on the vehicle’s presence, signal a hazard or communicate with the other road users !

 

கொம்பு (Horn) என்பது இரட்டைக் குளம்புள்ள ஆடு, மாடு, மான் முதலிய விலங்குகளின் தலையிலிருந்து முளைக்கின்ற வளர்ச்சி.   கொம்பு என ஒரு தூம்பு வகை  காற்று இசைக்கருவியும் உண்டு. . 

"உனக்கென்ன கொம்பா முளைத்து இருக்கு" என்பது ஒரு பொதுவான கேள்வி -  இதன் பொருள் "உனக்கு என்ன தனி அல்லது சிறப்பு  அதிகாரம் இருக்கிறது?"   "நீ என்ன பெரிய ஆளா (அப்பாடக்கரா)?" என்பதாகும். இது கேட்பவரின் பெருமையை அல்லது அதிகாரத்தை கேள்வி கேட்கும் விதமாக, கொஞ்சம் நக்கலான தொனியில் கேட்கப்படும் ஒரு சொற்றொடராகும்.  

Horns are distinct from antlers, which are not permanent. In mammals, true horns are found mainly among the ruminant artiodactyls, in the families Antilocapridae (pronghorn) and Bovidae (cattle, goats, antelope etc.). Cattle horns arise from subcutaneous connective tissue (under the scalp) and later fuse to the underlying frontal bone. 

One pair of horns is usual; however, two or more pairs occur in a few wild species and in some domesticated breeds of sheep.  Bighorn sheep have backward-sweeping, forward-curving horns. Bison have upward-curving horns that grow from the sides of the head. Horns usually have a curved or spiral shape, often with ridges or fluting. In many species, only males have horns. Horns start to grow soon after birth and continue to grow throughout the life of the animal   

Animals have horns … Horny, adjective would mean – of or resembling horn.  However, in an informal context – ‘horny’ would mean -  feeling or arousing sexual excitement.

 

Animal "horns" can be classified into true horns (bony core with permanent keratin sheath, found in bovids like cattle and goats), antlers (shed and regrown annually, made of bone, found in cervids like deer), and other similar structures like rhino horns (keratin without a bone core), ossicones (bony protrusions covered in skin, found in giraffes), and tusks (oversized teeth, like those of elephants and walruses).

 

There are a few rare breeds of naturally hornless cows, such as the Aberdeen Angus breed but in some countries, they lab-breed cattle without horns so that there would be no in-fighting !!  In some places, horns are removed cruelly - It’s a process called “disbudding”. It involves the horn buds being removed before they grow and attach to the cow’s skull. It’s a process that happens on the majority of dairy farms in Australia. The Cattle for sure would not like that, but who really cares !!

 

Here are some photos of Cattle with different horns !!  Interesting !
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
27.11.2025