Where does “opossum” come from?

opossum (Dutch) comes from English opossum, from Powhatan aposoum, from Proto-Algonquian *wa·p-aʔθemwa.

opossum (Dutch): opossum, marsupial of the family Didelphidae

Definitions

  1. opossum, marsupial of the family Didelphidae

Ancestry of “opossum”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishopossumAny American marsupial of the family Didelphidae....
2Powhatanaposoumwhite animal
3Proto-Algonquian*wa·p-aʔθemwa—
Every word from Proto-Algonquian *wa·p-aʔθemwa →Every word from Powhatan aposoum →Every word from English opossum →