chipmunk English · revision 1592

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˈt͡ʃɪp.mʌŋk/, /ˈt͡ʃɪt.mʌŋk/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is an alteration of earlier ''chitmunk'' (1832),^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) probably from [[oj|ajidamoo|t=red squirrel]],^(AHD)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU) literally “one who descends trees headlong”, from ''ajid-'' “head first, upside down”.^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)^(RHWU) The English form was probably influenced by ''chip'' and ''mink''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The small striped ground squirrel of eastern North America (1829 in Etymonline;^(Etymonline) 1841 in Barnhart;^(Barnhart 1995) 1842 in the OED).^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The name refers to the animal's habit of running down trees head first.^(RHWU)^(Barnhart 1995) Other early names for it were ''ground squirrel'' and ''striped squirrel''.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1829 – first recorded, per Etymonline.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1832 – ''chitmunk''.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)

+ * 1841 – ''chipmunk'', American English.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A small striped [[squirrel]] that lives on the ground, of the genus ''Tamias'', found in [[North America]] and Asia.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}