Marmota
/mɑːrˈmoʊtə/noun
A scientific genus of large ground squirrels commonly known as marmots.
Did you know?Unlike many animal names, Marmota has no securely established Indo-European root; scholars generally treat it as an expressive, possibly sound-based Alpine word.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Alpine period
Alpine Romance/Germanic
*marmot-
“A reconstructed or regional animal-name form of uncertain, probably expressive origin; the exact earliest form is disputed.”
12th–13th Century
Old French
marmot(e)
“A marmot, the burrowing Alpine rodent.”
16th Century
French
marmotte
“Marmot; the form later borrowed into English.”
Late 16th Century
English
marmot
“The large burrowing ground squirrel of mountainous regions.”
18th Century
New Latin
Marmota
“A zoological genus name based on the established word for marmot.”
Modern English
English/Taxonomy
Marmota
“The recognized genus containing marmots and closely related ground squirrels.”