Today we remember James Alfred Wight, born on October 3, 1916. Alf Wight served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, and he served the animals of rural Yorkshire for more than half a century. The veteran veterinarian is better remembered to readers by his pen name, James Herriot, author of (among other books) All Creatures Great and Small. (来源：英语杂志 http://www.EnglishCN.com)

What do the words veteran and veterinarian have in common (besides an association with James Herriot)? Plenty. Veterinarian, which names a person qualified and authorized to practice the science and art of prevention, cure, or alleviation of disease and injury in animals, particularly domestic animals, developed from the Latin veterinae, which means "beasts of burden." Veteran, meaning "an old soldier of long service," "a former member of the armed forces," or "a person of long experience usually in some occupation or skill," developed from the Latin veteranus meaning "of long experience."

Inveterate word-lovers may suspect a still older Latin word links veteranus and veterinae. Indeed it does: both terms are related to veter or vetus (or weter or wetus) which means "old." Veter also gave birth to wether, which once named a mature male sheep and is now used for a castrated male goat.