Orangutans

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of large arboreal ape known for their distinctive orange fur and long arms, primarily found in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra
2. Being highly intelligent, these creatures are often observed using tools and exhibiting complex social behaviors
3. A species that faces significant threats from habitat loss and poaching, making them critically endangered in their natural environments

Etymology: The name is a Malay phrase that turned into a European word. In Malay, "orang hutan" joins "orang," meaning "person" or "man," with "hutan," meaning "forest," so it literally means "forest person." Old Javanese texts such as the Rāmāyaṇa and Smaradahana use the forms "uraṅutan" and "wuraṅutan" for apes, with examples dating from as early as the 9th century CE, which some scholars take as evidence that the name is older than European contact rather than a European invention. The English word, however, came through Dutch. Dutch speakers in the East Indies adopted the term as "orang-oetan" or "orang-oetang," and the form ending in "-ng" that English now uses appears to be a later alteration influenced by the first element, "orang." Earlier European writers often relied on other names for the animal, such as "mawas" and "mayas," and the Malay term took over as the preferred word only gradually.