Allabuta

/ˌæləˈbuːtə/ noun

Definition

A type of large freshwater fish found in South America, related to piranhas.

Etymology

From Tupi or another South American indigenous language. The word entered European languages through Portuguese traders and naturalists documenting the Amazon basin in the 16th-17th centuries.

Kelly Says

The allabuta's name comes directly from indigenous Amazonian languages—a reminder that many animal names were gifted to science by the people who actually lived alongside these creatures long before Europeans arrived.

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