troglodyte

English

WOTD – 19 April 2007

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹɒɡlədaɪt/, /ˈtɹɒɡləʊdaɪt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃɹɑɡlədaɪt/, /ˈt͡ʃɹɑɡloʊdaɪt/

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 A reclusive, reactionary or out-of-date person, especially if brutish.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

Derived terms

• trog
• troglodyke
• troglodytic

Translations

member of a supposed prehistoric race that lived in caves

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 穴居人 (zh) (xuéjūrén), 類人猿／类人猿 (zh) (lèirényuán)

• Dutch: holbewoner (nl) m, holenmens (nl) m (rare)
• Estonian: koopaelanik
• Finnish: luolamies (fi), troglodyytti (fi)
• French: troglodyte (fr) m
• Galician: troglodita m or f
• German: Höhlenmensch (de) m, Troglodyt (de) m (rare)
• Greek:

  Ancient: τρωγλοδύτης m (trōglodútēs)

• Japanese: 穴居人 (けっきょじん, kekkyojin)
• Latvian: troglodīts m, alu cilvēks m
• Portuguese: troglodita (pt) m or f
• Romanian: troglodit (ro) m, troglodită (ro) f
• Russian: пеще́рный челове́к m (peščérnyj čelovék), троглоди́т (ru) m (troglodít)
• Spanish: cavernícola (es) m, troglodita (es) m or f
• Turkish: mağara adamı

anything that lives underground

• French: troglodyte (fr) m or f
• Greek: τρωγλοδύτης (el) m (troglodýtis)
• Spanish: troglodita (es) m or f

reclusive or out-of-date person

• Finnish: fossiili (fi)
• Greek: τρωγλοδύτης (el) m (troglodýtis)
• Polish: troglodyta (pl) m
• Portuguese: troglodita (pt) m or f
• Romanian: troglodit (ro) m, troglodită (ro) f
• Russian: троглоди́т (ru) m (troglodít), отше́льник (ru) m (otšélʹnik)
• Spanish: troglodita (es) m or f
• Turkish: mağara adamı

person who chooses not to keep up-to-date

• Japanese: 隠者 (ja) (いんじゃ, inja)
• Russian: отше́льник (ru) m (otšélʹnik)

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tʁɔ.ɡlɔ.dit/

• Audio (Paris)

  (file)

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

troglodyte m or f by sense (plural troglodytes)

1. troglodyte

Noun

troglodyte m (plural troglodytes)

1. wren
2. chimpanzee

Derived terms

• troglodyte mignon

Further reading

• “troglodyte”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.