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Where does the word "skunk" come from? It comes from Massachusett squunck, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).
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Where does the word "skunk" come from? It comes from Massachusett squunck, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).
Skunk’s story begins in Massachusett: squunck meant “the striped, foul-smelling mammal.” Literally "one who urinates", describing its scent gland. It reached English by 1600s as skunk. Algonquian 'seganku'; skunks spray a sulphur-based musk. Today, skunk means a small mammal known for spraying a foul-smelling liquid when threatened.
- Stage 1 · Massachusett · pre-1600s squunck "the striped, foul-smelling mammal", literally "one who urinates", describing its scent gland.
- Stage 2 · English · 1600s skunk "the black-and-white striped mammal", Algonquian 'seganku'; skunks spray a sulphur-based musk.