Lemur

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈliːmə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. A small to medium-sized primate native to Madagascar, characterized by large eyes and a long tail, known for its social behavior and varied diet
2. This animal, often found in forests, is distinguished by its nocturnal habits and reliance on scent marking for communication
3. With distinctive features and behaviors, this prosimian is an essential part of its ecosystem, contributing to seed dispersal and forest regeneration

Etymology: Carl Linnaeus gave the animals their name in 1754, and he chose it for the creatures' habits rather than their looks. The red slender loris, which he first described under the name "Lemur tardigradus," was active only at night and moved very slowly, and Linnaeus drew on the Latin "lemurēs," the restless spirits of the dead that Romans believed wandered at night. The comparison was to ghostly nocturnal wanderers, not to any resemblance in appearance. The name was a poor fit for the animal it was first attached to. In 1758 Linnaeus added the ring-tailed lemur to the same genus, and over time the other species, including the red slender loris, were moved into separate genera. The name stayed with the ring-tailed lemur and its relatives, which were the animals that happened to be found on Madagascar. Eventually the word became the everyday name for all the primates native to Madagascar. Its meaning therefore narrowed from a single nocturnal loris, chosen for its slowness and night-time habits, to a whole island group defined by where it lives.

Synonyms: primate, prosimians