pangolin
UK[ˈpæŋɡəlɪn]US[ˈpæŋɡəlɪn]
n
A mammal with a body covered in overlapping horny scales, a small head with an elongated snout, and a long sticky tongue for eating ants and termites.
Etymology
The word 'pangolin' is a direct borrowing from the Malay word 'pengguling', which means "something that rolls up," derived from the verb 'guling' ("to roll"). This name was given in reference to the animal's distinctive defensive behavior of curling into a tight, armored ball when threatened. The term entered European languages in the 18th century, likely through French. Its journey from a descriptive Malay phrase to a specific zoological term in English exemplifies how languages adopt and adapt words based on an organism's most observable characteristic.
Analysis
The word 'pangolin' is a simplex loanword. It does not contain separable morphemes in its modern English spelling that carry distinct, analyzable meanings.
Examples
The pangolin is the only mammal wholly covered in protective keratin scales.
Conservationists are working tirelessly to protect the critically endangered pangolin from illegal trafficking.
Using its long, sticky tongue, the pangolin can consume thousands of ants in a single feeding.