Guemal

/ɡeɪˈmɑːl/ noun

Definition

A South American wild camelid animal, also known as the Peruvian huemul or a related small deer-like creature.

Etymology

From Spanish 'guemul' or Mapuche language, referring to Andean camelids and related animals of South America, related to llama and alpaca family members.

Kelly Says

The guemal is a perfect example of how Spanish conquistadors encountered animals they'd never seen and just borrowed indigenous names—'guemul' comes straight from Mapuche and was so descriptive that it stuck.

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