chipmunk

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈt͡ʃɪp.mʌŋk/, /ˈt͡ʃɪt.mʌŋk/^[1]

Etymology

It is an alteration of earlier chitmunk (1832),^{[2][3][4][5][6]} probably from Ojibwe ajidamoo (“red squirrel”),^[2][4][5][6] literally “one who descends trees headlong”, from ajid- “head first, upside down”.^[4][3][6] The English form was probably influenced by chip and mink.^[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The small striped ground squirrel of eastern North America (1829 in Etymonline;^[4] 1841 in Barnhart;^[3] 1842 in the OED).^[7]

Semantic evolution

The name refers to the animal's habit of running down trees head first.^[6][3] Other early names for it were ground squirrel and striped squirrel.^[4][7]

Timeline

• 1829 – first recorded, per Etymonline.^[4]
• 1832 – chitmunk.^[3][4][5]
• 1841 – chipmunk, American English.^[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A small striped squirrel that lives on the ground, of the genus Tamias, found in North America and Asia.

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press