aardvark
See also: aard-vark
English
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editBorrowed from Afrikaans aardvark (obsolete), erdvark, from aarde (“earth”, from Middle Dutch aerde) + vark (“pig”, from Middle Dutch varken). Early European colonists in South Africa noticed that the animal was similar to a pig, while aarde hints at the animal's habit of burrowing.
Pronunciation
edit- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɑːd.vɑːk/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈɑɹd.vɑɹk/
Audio (US): (file) Audio (Canada): (file)
Noun
editaardvark (plural aardvarks)
- The nocturnal, insectivorous, burrowing, mammal Orycteropus afer, of the order Tubulidentata, somewhat resembling a pig, common in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa. [from late 18th c.]
- Synonyms: African anteater, antbear, ant bear, anteater, earth pig
- The aardvark burrows in the ground and feeds mostly on termites, which it catches with its long, slimy tongue.
- 2007 August 15, Wayne A. Davis, “Replies to Green, Szabó, Jeshion, and Siebel”, in Philosophical Studies, volume 137, number 3, :
- If ‘aardvark lover’ has that syntactic structure, then it determinately means “lover of aardvarks.
Derived terms
editTranslations
editmammal
|
References
edit- Aard-vark in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)
- Jonathan E. Lighter, Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Volume I, A-G. Random House USA, 1994. →ISBN. page 1.
Afrikaans
editEtymology
editFrom Dutch aardvarken, from aarde (“earth, soil”) + varken (“pig”).
Pronunciation
editAudio: (file)
Noun
editaardvark (plural aardvarke)
- Alternative form of erdvark
Descendants
edit- → English: aardvark
Portuguese
editEtymology
editUnadapted borrowing from Afrikaans aardvark.
Pronunciation
edit
Noun
editaardvark m (plural aardvarks)
- aardvark (mammal)
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:orictéropo
Categories:
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁er-
- English terms borrowed from Afrikaans
- English terms derived from Afrikaans
- English terms derived from Middle Dutch
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- en:African insectivores
- Afrikaans terms inherited from Dutch
- Afrikaans terms derived from Dutch
- Afrikaans terms with audio pronunciation
- Afrikaans lemmas
- Afrikaans nouns
- Portuguese terms borrowed from Afrikaans
- Portuguese unadapted borrowings from Afrikaans
- Portuguese terms derived from Afrikaans
- Portuguese 4-syllable words
- Portuguese 3-syllable words
- Portuguese terms with IPA pronunciation
- Portuguese lemmas
- Portuguese nouns
- Portuguese countable nouns
- Portuguese terms spelled with K
- Portuguese masculine nouns