Marmot

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈmɑː.mət/

Definitions

1. A sizeable rodent commonly inhabiting mountainous terrains and noted for its underground burrowing activities
2. A member of the large ground squirrel family that often forms social colonies in rocky environments
3. A large burrowing rodent found in mountainous regions that thrives in social groups and is known for its distinctive whistle-like calls

Etymology: The most striking thing about "marmot" is that its name may be an imitation of the animal's own noise. The likeliest base is a Gallo-Romance verb "marm-", meaning to mumble or murmur, probably describing the low sound a marmot makes while feeding. That verb may be linked to the same ancient root behind English "murmur", though the exact path is uncertain. The word reached French as "marmotte", formed by adding the diminutive suffix "-otte" to that base, so it means something like "little mumbler". English took it from Middle French, which is why the word has a French shape even though the animal lives in the Alps, the Pyrenees and other mountain ranges. Other languages preserve the same idea in different ways. Italian has "marmotta", and German has "Murmeltier", a compound whose second part means "animal". Older German dialect forms also echo the sound. The Latin phrase "mus montanus", or "mountain rat", sits behind some of these names, though it is not the source of the word itself.

Synonyms: groundhog, woodchuck