mongoose

Where does the word "mongoose" come from? It comes from Marathi/Telugu mangus, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).

Mongoose’s story begins in Marathi/Telugu: mangus meant “mongoose.” The name for the small, snake-hunting mammal. It reached English by 1600s as mongoose. Kipling's 'Rikki-Tikki-Tavi' (1894) made the snake-fighting mongoose famous. Today, mongoose means a small, agile mammal known for its ability to kill venomous snakes.

1. Stage 1 · Marathi/Telugu · medieval mangus "mongoose", the name for the small, snake-hunting mammal.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1600s mongoose "the small carnivorous mammal", Kipling's 'Rikki-Tikki-Tavi' (1894) made the snake-fighting mongoose famous.