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
- opossum, marsupial of the family Didelphidae
Ancestry of “opossum”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | opossum | Any American marsupial of the family Didelphidae.... |
| 2 | Powhatan | aposoum | white animal |
| 3 | Proto-Algonquian | *wa·p-aʔθemwa | — |