different between meerkat vs aardvark

English

Etymology

From Afrikaans meerkat, transferred use of Dutch meerkat (“guenon [monkey]”), from Middle Dutch meercatte (literally “sea cat”), compare English mercat. Sometimes suggested to be influenced by or derived from an Indian source; compare Hindi ????? (marka?, “ape, monkey”) and Sanskrit ????? (marka?a). Note however Old High German merikazza, so any influence from Indo-Aryan would have to be exceptionally early.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?m??kat/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?m???kæt/

Noun

meerkat (plural meerkats)

1. Suricata suricatta, a small carnivorous mammal of the mongoose family, from the Kalahari Desert, known for its habit of standing on its hind legs.

   Synonym: suricate

Descendants

• ? Japanese: ??????? (m?akyatto)
• ? Korean: ??? (mieokaet)
• ? Thai: ????????? (miia-k??t)

Translations

Further reading

• meerkat on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Suricata suricatta on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

References

Anagrams

• e-market

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch meerkat (“guenon”), from Middle Dutch meercatte.

Noun

meerkat (plural meerkatte or meerkaaie)

1. meerkat

Descendants

• ? English: meerkat
  • ? Japanese: ??????? (m?akyatto)
  • ? Korean: ??? (mieokaet)
  • ? Thai: ????????? (miia-k??t)

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch meercatte (“monkey, ape”), from Old Dutch *merikatta. Equivalent to meer +? kat. Cognate with Old High German merikazza (German Meerkatze).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?me?r?k?t/, [?m??r?k?t]
• Hyphenation: meer?kat

Noun

meerkat f (plural meerkatten, diminutive meerkatje n)

1. A guenon, vervet, talapoin or patas; one of a number of monkeys of the genus Cercopithecus, or of the tribe Cercopithecini.
   • 2013, Bas Vlugt, Namibië, Botswana en Zimbabwe.

     De groene meerkat of vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops) is de meest voorkomende aap in zuidelijk Afrika.

     The African green monkey or vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops) is the most common monkey in southern Africa.

   • 2016, Sterre Leufkens, Taal, in Elementaire deeltjes, vol. 40, Amsterdam University Press (publ.), page 32.

Descendants

• Afrikaans: meerkat
  • ? English: meerkat
    • ? Japanese: ??????? (m?akyatto)
    • ? Korean: ??? (mieokaet)
    • ? Thai: ????????? (miia-k??t)

English

Wikispecies

Alternative forms

• aard-vark, erdvark

Etymology

Borrowed from Afrikaans aardvark (obsolete), erdvark, from aarde (“earth”), (from Dutch, 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

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /???d.v??k/
• (US) IPA^(key): /???d.v??k/

Noun

aardvark (plural aardvarks)

1. 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 18^th c.]

   Synonyms: African anteater, antbear, ant bear, anteater, earth pig

2. (slang, particularly in the southeast US) A silly or credulous person who is prone to mistakes or blunders.

   Synonym: fool

   (The addition of quotations indicative of this usage is being sought:)

Translations

References

• Aard-vark in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch aardvarken, from aarde (“earth, soil”) +? varken (“pig”).

Noun

aardvark (plural aardvarke)

1. Obsolete form of erdvark.

Portuguese

Noun

aardvark m (plural aardvarks)

1. aardvark (mammal)

   Synonyms: oricterope, porco-da-terra, jimbo, porco-formigueiro, timba, timbo