Mongoose

来自Big Physics

google

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late 17th century: from Marathi maṅgūs .


Ety img mongoose.png

wiktionary

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1690s. Borrowed from Portuguese mangusto, from Marathi मुंगूस(muṅgūs), from Old Marathi 𑘦𑘳𑘽𑘐𑘳𑘭(muṃgusa), from Telugu ముంగిస(muṅgisa). Spelling altered by folk-etymological association with goose. Displaced native Old English nǣderbita(literally “snake biter”).


etymonline

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mongoose (n.)

"snake-killing ichneumon of India," 1690s, perhaps via Portuguese, from an Indic language (such as Mahrathi mangus "mongoose"), probably ultimately from Dravidian (compare Telugu mangisu, Kanarese mungisi, Tamil mangus). The form of the English word has been altered by folk-etymology.