Note II-8 — Chapter II · ITINERARY, CONTINUED: ST. PAUL TO LEECH LAKE, SEPTEMBER 22D, 1805-JANUARY 31ST, 1806.
Reading edition
The curious word "brelaw," elsewhere "brelau," which we owe to Pike, is a corruption of F. blaireau, badger. This, of course, originally denoted the European badger, Meles taxus, but was easily transferred to the generically and specifically different American badger, Taxidea americana. Other forms of similar perversity are braro, brarow, brairo, braroca, praro, prarow, etc. See L. and C., ed. 1893, p. 64. Pike's original editor of 1807 had blaireau, correctly, but Pike himself seldom got any F. word or phrase exactly right.