stekelvarken
Dutch
Etymology
1708, from stekel (“spike”) + varken (“pig”), perhaps through German Stachelschwein (1556), eventually after the Romance family of terms to which belong Italian porcospino, English porcupine. A slightly earlier Dutch word was ijzervarken (literally “iron pig”), whence Afrikaans ystervark.
Pronunciation
Noun
stekelvarken n (plural stekelvarkens, diminutive stekelvarkentje n)
- A porcupine, large rodent of the families Erethizontidae and Hystricidae.