chipmunk
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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
- A small striped squirrel that lives on the ground, of the genus Tamias, found in North America and Asia.
References
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
- ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
- ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ a b c d Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
- ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press