Where does “naked mole rat” come from?
naked mole rat (English) comes from English naked, from Middle English naked, from Old English nacod, from Proto-West Germanic *nak(k)wad, from Proto-Germanic nakwadaz, from Proto-Indo-European nogʷós — bare, naked; naked, bare; naked, nude.
naked mole rat (English): A burrowing rodent (Heterocephalus glaber), native to parts of East Africa
Definitions
- A burrowing rodent (Heterocephalus glaber), native to parts of East Africa
Ancestry of “naked mole rat”, step by step
naked mole rat traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English naked
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | naked | Bare, not covered by clothing; Lacking some... |
| 2 | Middle English | naked | Uncovered; exposed, visible; Having none of... |
| 3 | Old English | nacod | naked; past participle of nacian |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *nak(k)wad | naked |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | nakwadaz | naked |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | nogʷós | bare, naked; naked, bare; naked, nude |
via English mole rat
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | mole rat | Any of several small rodents in taxonomic... |