echidna
English
Etymology
Debated, but probably from Ancient Greek ἔχιδνα (ékhidna, “snake, viper”) via (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin. Compare ἐχῖνος (ekhînos, “hedgehog, etc.”). However, this sense is problematic (unless it is a reference to the ant-eating tongue). The name perhaps belongs to (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin echinus from the aforementioned Ancient Greek term's alternate sense of "sea-urchin" (also "sharp points"), which Watkins explains as "snake-eater", from ekhis "snake." The 1810 Encyclopaedia Britannica deduces thus the animal's alternative name as "porcupine ant-eater".
Alternatively, and perhaps more likely, the name refers to Echidna as the name of a serpent-nymph in Greek mythology, "a beautiful woman in the upper part of her body; but instead of legs and feet, she had from the waist downward, the form of a serpent", in which case the animal was named for its mixed features (early naturalists doubted whether it was a mammal or amphibian). Ultimately, the etymology may be from a synthesis of all the roots above.
Pronunciation
Noun
echidna (plural echidnas or echidnae)
- Any of the species of small spined monotremes in family Tachyglossidae, the four extant species of which are found in Australia and southern New Guinea.
Synonyms
- (species of Tachyglossidae): spiny anteater, bunning
Derived terms
- Attenborough's long-beaked echidna(Please check if this is already defined at target. Replace
{{vern}}
with a regular link if already defined. Add novern=1 if not defined.) (Lua error in Module:taxlink at line 68: Parameter "noshow" is not used by this template.) - Barton's Long-beaked echidna (Lua error in Module:taxlink at line 68: Parameter "noshow" is not used by this template.)
- cyclops Long-beaked echidna (Lua error in Module:taxlink at line 68: Parameter "noshow" is not used by this template.)
- eastern Long-beaked echidna (Lua error in Module:taxlink at line 68: Parameter "noshow" is not used by this template.)
- long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus)
- short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus)
- short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)
- Sir David's long-beaked echidna (Lua error in Module:taxlink at line 68: Parameter "noshow" is not used by this template.)
- western long-beaked echidna (Lua error in Module:taxlink at line 68: Parameter "noshow" is not used by this template.)
Translations
|
See also
Anagrams
Italian
Noun
echidna f (plural echidne)
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English nouns with irregular plurals
- en:Monotremes
- Italian lemmas
- Italian nouns
- Italian countable nouns
- Italian feminine nouns