squirrel
/ˈskwɪrəl/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
skia + oura — shadow + tail
Overview
Meaning Now
- A small to medium-sized rodent of the family Sciuridae, typically with a bushy tail and capable of climbing trees.
Literal older meaning
shadow-tail
Language path
Ancient Greek → Old French → Anglo-Norman → English
Earliest form
squirel
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term reflects the animal's habit of using its tail to shade itself, a descriptive observation captured by the Ancient Greek compound.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
skiouros
“shadow-tail”
Compound of skia (shadow) and oura (tail)
- Vulgar Latin
scurellus
“little squirrel”
Diminutive form of skiouros
- Old French
esquireul
“squirrel”
- Middle English
squirel
“squirrel”
Connections
Word parts
squirrel
root
rodent with a bushy tail
Related across languages
French
écureuil
squirrel
Italian
scoiattolo
squirrel
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Related to squirrel
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.