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This one's a little confusing, but here's what I've teased out:
surroyal (sur-ROI-uhl) - n., one of the upper tines of a stag's antler, above the royal tine.
Exactly which (the fourth, fifth, or other tine) seems to vary by species -- in the technical language of English hunting, where they hunted the Red Deer, this was the fifth tine, which appears in the sixth year -- and is (if I understand correctly) the final tine to grow. Several North American deers, however, grow more tines, which either makes the surroyal not the last or, depending on the jargon, makes it not immediately above the royal. Or something like that. Regardless, the etymology is pretty simple: sur- (a compacted form of super-), above + royal, as in the royal tine.
---L.
surroyal (sur-ROI-uhl) - n., one of the upper tines of a stag's antler, above the royal tine.
Exactly which (the fourth, fifth, or other tine) seems to vary by species -- in the technical language of English hunting, where they hunted the Red Deer, this was the fifth tine, which appears in the sixth year -- and is (if I understand correctly) the final tine to grow. Several North American deers, however, grow more tines, which either makes the surroyal not the last or, depending on the jargon, makes it not immediately above the royal. Or something like that. Regardless, the etymology is pretty simple: sur- (a compacted form of super-), above + royal, as in the royal tine.
---L.
