Orangutan

/ɔːˈræŋətən/ or /ɔːˈræŋʊˌtæn/ noun

Definition

An orangutan is a large, orange-brown ape that lives in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra and spends much of its life in trees.

Etymology

From Malay “orang hutan,” literally meaning “person of the forest” (“orang” = person, “hutan” = forest). The phrase was adapted into European languages and simplified to “orangutan.”

Kelly Says

Local people named orangutans ‘forest persons,’ hinting at how human-like they seemed long before modern science. They use tools, remember fruit trees for years, and even seem to have distinct ‘cultures’ in different forests.

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