Echidna
/ɪˈkɪd.nə/noun
A spiny, egg-laying Australian mammal with a long snout and specialized tongue.
Did you know?In Greek mythology, Echidna was a serpent-bodied monster said to have mothered Cerberus, the Hydra, the Chimera, and the Sphinx.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁eǵʰis
“Snake or serpent; a reconstructed ancient root associated with several words for venomous reptiles.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἔχιδνα (ekhídna)
“Viper; female viper.”
Ancient Greek mythology
Greek
Ἔχιδνα (Ekhídna)
“A monstrous female serpent, depicted as part woman and part snake.”
Classical Latin
Latin
echidna
“A viper or serpent; also the mythological monster's name.”
1790s
Scientific English
echidna
“A zoological name applied to the spiny egg-laying mammal of Australia and New Guinea.”
Modern English
English
echidna
“The distinctive spiny monotreme mammal, also called a spiny anteater.”