Bear Greek word ἄρκτος ("arktos"), meaning bear, as do the names "arctic" and "antarctic", from the constellation Ursa Major, the "Great Bear", prominent in the northern sky. Bear taxon names such as Ursidae and "Ursus" come from Latin "Ursus/Ursa", he-bear/she-bear. The female first name "Ursula", originally derived from a Christian saint's name, means "little she-bear" (diminutive of Latin "ursa"). In Switzerland, the male first name "Urs" is especially popular, while the name of the canton and city of Bern is derived from "Bär", German for bear. The Germanic name Bernard (including Bernhardt and similar forms) means "bear-brave", "bear-hardy", or "bold bear".
This Is the House That Jack Built that may have inspired the form, the lyrics bear little relationship. It was suggested by James Orchard Halliwell that the reference to the "priest all shaven and shorn" indicates that the English version is probably very old, presumably as far back as the mid-sixteenth century. There is a possible reference to the song in "The Boston New Letter" of 12 April 1739 and the line: "This is the man all forlorn, &c". However, it did not appear in print until it was included in "Nurse Truelove's New-Year's-Gift, or the Book of Books for Children", printed in London in 1755. It