murciélago

Spanish

FWOTD – 4 February 2013

Alternative forms

Etymology

    Etymology tree
    Vulgar Latin *mūris caecus
    Old Spanish murciegoder.
    Spanish murciélago

    Metathetic form of earlier murciégalo, a diminutive of Old Spanish murciego, from Vulgar Latin *mūris caecus (literally “blind mouse”). Compare Galician and Portuguese morcego.

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /muɾˈθjelaɡo/ [muɾˈθje.la.ɣ̞o] (Spain)
    • IPA(key): /muɾˈsjelaɡo/ [muɾˈsje.la.ɣ̞o] (Latin America, Philippines)
    • Audio (Spain):(file)
    • Rhymes: -elaɡo
    • Syllabification: mur‧cié‧la‧go

    Noun

    murciélago m (plural murciélagos, feminine murciélaga, feminine plural murciélagas)

    1. bat (any flying mammal of the order Chiroptera)
      Synonyms: quiróptero, panarra, (New Mexico) ratón volador
      • 1800, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, chapter 12, in Historia General del Perú:
        ...adoraban al buho por la hermosura de sus ojos y cabeza, y al murciélago por la sutileza de su vista...
        ...they adored the owl for the prettiness of its eyes and head, and the bat for the subtlety of its sight...

    Derived terms

    Further reading

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