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aardvark
noun
Examples of aardvark in a Sentence
Word History
borrowed from early Afrikaans aardvarken (modern erdvark), from aarde "earth" + vark "hog"; akin to Old English eorthe "earth" and to Old English fearh "young pig" — more at earth entry 1, farrow entry 1
Note: Current Afrikaans erdvark, as against early aardvarken, aardvark (with Afrikaans loss of the Dutch final syllable), reflects early competition in Afrikaans between standard Dutch aarde and the North/South Holland form erd(e) (with lengthened [e] or [ε]); as a simplex Afrikaans retains both with different senses: erd, "earth, clay," aarde "earth (the planet)."
1822, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near aardvark
Cite this Entry
“Aardvark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aardvark. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
aardvark
nounfrom early Afrikaans (now erdvark), "earth pig"
More from Merriam-Webster on aardvark
Nglish: Translation of aardvark for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of aardvark for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about aardvark
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