Coatimondie

/ˌkoʊətɪˈmɑndi/ noun

Definition

An alternate or archaic spelling of coatimundi; a tropical raccoon-like mammal with a long snout and ringed tail.

Etymology

Variant spelling of coatimundi, from Tupi (Brazilian indigenous language) 'coati' (white belt) and 'mondia' or 'mundé'. Colonial-era European spellings show phonetic variation.

Kelly Says

This spelling variation captures the chaos of colonial language—European naturalists trying to write down Tupi words phonetically created multiple versions, and some old naturalists' journals spelled it coatimondie!

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