Where does “opossum” come from?
Opossum comes from Powhatan aposoum, a word of unknown meaning in the Powhatan language.
opossum (English): Any American marsupial of the family Didelphidae....
Definitions
- Any American marsupial of the family Didelphidae....
Ancestry of “opossum”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Powhatan | aposoum | white animal |
| 2 | Proto-Algonquian | *wa·p-aʔθemwa | — |