Etymology Map
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Pangolin

2 stages from Malay to English.

Today it means a scaly ant-eating mammal of Africa and Asia

Where does the word "pangolin" come from? It comes from Malay pengguling, adopted directly into English (1770s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
pengguling
Malay · 1700s
"roller"
'roller', from guling 'to roll', for the way the Sunda pangolin of the Malay Peninsula curls into an armoured ball
2
Stage 2 of 2
pangolin
English · 1770s
"scaly anteater"
adopted through naturalists' accounts; long heavily trafficked, all eight species were moved to CITES Appendix I in 2016, banning international commercial trade
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Pangolin’s story begins in Malay: pengguling meant “roller.” 'roller', from guling 'to roll', for the way the Sunda pangolin of the Malay Peninsula curls into an armoured ball. It reached English by 1770s as pangolin. Adopted through naturalists' accounts; long heavily trafficked, all eight species were moved to CITES Appendix I in 2016, banning international commercial trade. Today, pangolin means a scaly ant-eating mammal of Africa and Asia.