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Coati

3 stages from Tupi-Guarani to English.

Today it means a raccoon-family mammal with a long, flexible snout, found from the southwestern U.S. to South America

Where does the word "coati" come from? It comes from Tupi-Guarani kwatĩ, passing through Portuguese/Spanish before entering English (1670s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
kwatĩ
Tupi-Guarani · pre-1500s
"a long-nosed forest mammal"
named the long-nosed, raccoon-like mammal
2
Stage 2 of 3
coati
Portuguese/Spanish · 1600s
"a raccoon relative with a long, flexible snout"
adopted by Iberian colonists describing the animal
3
Stage 3 of 3
coati
English · 1670s
"a raccoon-family mammal with a long snout and tail"
borrowed into English natural history writing
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