troglodyte

WOTD – 19 April 2007    

English

Etymology

From Latin trōglodyta (“cave dwelling people”), from Ancient Greek τρωγλοδύτης (trōglodutēs, “one who dwells in holes”), from τρώγλη (trōglē, “hole”) + δύω (duō, “I get into”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈtɹɒɡlədaɪt/, /ˈtɹɒɡləʊdaɪt/
• (US) IPA: /ˈtrɑɡlədaɪt/, /ˈtrɑɡloʊdaɪt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

troglodyte (plural troglodytes)

1. A member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves or holes, a caveman.
2. (by extension) Anything that lives underground.

   The cave was populated by albino scorpions, blind salamanders, and other troglodytes.

3. A reclusive, reactionary or out-of-date person, especially if brutish.
4. The wren, Troglodytes troglodytes.
5. (computing) A person who chooses not to keep up-to-date with the latest software and hardware.

Derived terms

• Pan troglodytes
• troglodytic
• trog

Translations

member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 穴居人 (cmn) (xuéjūrén)

• Dutch: holbewoner (nl) m, holenmens (nl) m (rare)
• Estonian: koopaelanik (et)
• Finnish: luolamies (fi), troglodyytti (fi)
• French: troglodyte (fr) m
• Galician: troglodita (gl) m and f

• German: Höhlenmensch (de) m, Troglodyt (de) m (rare)
• Japanese: 穴居人 (ja) (けっきょじん, kekkyojin)
• Portuguese: troglodita (pt) m and f
• Russian: пещерный человек (ru) (peščérnyj čelovék) m, троглодит (ru) (troglodít) m
• Spanish: cavernícola (es) m, troglodita (es) m and f

anything that lives underground

• French: troglodyte (fr) m and f

• Spanish: troglodita (es) m and f

reclusive or out-of-date person

• Finnish: fossiili (fi)
• Polish: troglodyta (pl) m
• Portuguese: troglodita (pt) m and f

• Russian: троглодит (ru) (troglodít) m, отшельник (ru) (otšélʹnik) m
• Spanish: troglodita (es) m and f

person who chooses not to keep up-to-date

• Japanese: 隠者 (ja) (いんじゃ, inja)

• Russian: отшельник (ru) (otšélʹnik) m