A small South American monkey with a long tail, or a tropical American bird.
From Tupi (a South American indigenous language), where 'titi' is the native name for these small monkeys and birds. The word was borrowed directly into European languages through contact with indigenous peoples and naturalists studying South American fauna in the 16th-17th centuries.
The word 'titi' is a beautiful example of how exploration and colonization, despite their dark histories, did bring European languages into contact with indigenous animal names that scientists still use today—when you say 'titi monkey' you're speaking Tupi through the lens of modern zoology!
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