The names of many animal homes, whether made by humans or by the animals themselves, have been extended to apply to other dwellings and objects. Here are some examples.
burrow
A hole dug in the ground by an animal, such as a fox or a rabbit, and used as a dwelling place by the animal. Burrow goes back to Middle English borow, probably a variant of the Middle English spellings for “borough,” such as borowe, borou, and borogh. Extended from the animal sense, burrow means a small secluded human habitation, a hovel.
cage
A place of confinement for birds and other animals. Cage goes back to Old French cage (“cage”), from Latin cavea (“a hollow, hole, cave,” hence “cage”), a derivative of the adjective cavus (“hollow”), which goes back to an Indo-European root meaning “to swell” and its derivatives meaning “a swelling, cavity, hole.” Extended from the animal sense, cage refers to a cell or an area for human prisoners. Any enclosure resembling a cage in form or purpose–such as a screen behind home plate in baseball, a protective area for a cashier, or a supporting framework in construction–is called a cage.
coop
Originally a basket, later a cage or pen of basketwork for confining poultry, eventually a poultry pen of any material. Coop goes back to Middle English cupe and coupe (“basket, coop”), which may go back to Latin cupa (“cask”), based on an Indo-European root meaning “hollow place, enclosure.” Extended from the animal sense, coop refers to any poorly made structure or confined area, such as a jail.
den
The place of habitation of a wild animal. Den comes from Old English denn (“lair”), based on a Germanic or Indo-European root meaning “low ground, flattened place.” Extended from the animal sense, den has various meanings, such as a cavern (especially a hideout), a center of secret activity, a squalid dwelling, a secluded room, and a subdivision of a cub-scout pack.
hive
A structure for housing bees, especially honeybees, or the colony of bees themselves in the hive. Hive goes back to Old English hyf (“hive”), based on an Indo-European root meaning “to bend, curve, arch,” whence “a round or hollow object.” Extended from the animal sense, hive means a place swarming with active people or a crowd of such people.
kennel
A shelter for a dog or cat, or an establishment for the breeding or boarding of dogs or cats. Kennel probably goes back to Vulgar Latin canile (“kennel”), from Latin canis (“dog”), based on an Indo-European root meaning “dog.” Extended from the animal sense, kennel stands for a dwelling unfit for humans.
lair
A place where a wild animal lies down to rest, that is, a living place. Lair goes back to Old English leger (“a resting or sleeping place”), based on an Indo-European root meaning “to recline.” Extended from the animal sense, lair means a refugee or a hiding place for humans.
mew
Originally an enclosure for trained hawks, especially while molting (formerly known as “mewing”). Mew goes back to Middle French mue (“enclosure for molting hawks”), a derivative of the verb muer (“to molt”), from Latin mutare (“to change”), based on an Indo-European root meaning “to change, go, move.” Extended from the animal sense, mew refers to a place for hiding or retirement.
nest
A place where an animal, especially a bird, deposits its eggs or young. Nest comes from Old English nest (“animal nest”), based on a compound of the Indo-European roots ni (“down”) and sed (“to sit”). A nest, then, is literally “a place to sit down.” Extended from the animal sense, nest has a wide range of meanings, such as a human home, a snug resting place, and a spot where something bad develops.
pen
A small enclosure for domestic animals. Pen goes back to Middle English penne (“enclosure for animals”), perhaps from the verb pennen (“to shut in, confine” and also “to fasten” as if with a peg or pin). Extended from the animal sense, pen means any small place of confinement or storage.
perch
Originally any kind of pole or stick, later a horizontal bar for a bird to rest on. Perch goes back to Latin pertia (“pole”). Extended from the animal sense, perch refers to a human resting place or vantage point.
roost
A bird’s resting place. Roost goes back to Old English hrost (“wooden framework of a roof, perch, roost”), based on an Indo-European root meaning “framework, timberwork.” Extended from the animal sense, roost means any place for human sitting, resting, or staying.
warren
Originally land enclosed and preserved for keeping and breeding various animals (such as hares or pheasants), later specifically land where rabbits breed. Warren goes back to Old North French warenne (“game preserve”), from a Germanic root meaning “”to protect, guard,” based on an Indo-European root meaning “to cover.” Extended from the animal sense, warren means any human tenement or poor district as crowded and full of life as a rabbit breeding ground.
(Principal sources: Oxford English Dictionary; Darryl Lyman, Dictionary of Animal Words and Phrases, Jonathan David Publishers, www.jdbooks.com)
