marten
pronunciation
How to pronounce marten in British English:
UK [ˈmɑ:tɪn]
How to pronounce marten in American English:
US [ˈmɑrtn]
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- Noun:
- agile slender-bodied arboreal mustelids somewhat larger than weasels
Word Origin
- marten (n.)
- mid-13c., "skin or fur of the marten," from Old French martrine "marten fur," noun use of fem. adjective martrin "of or pertaining to the marten," from martre "marten," from Frankish *martar or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *marthuz (cognates: Old Saxon marthrin "of or pertaining to the marten," Old Frisian merth, Middle Dutch maerter, Dutch marter, Old High German mardar, German Marder, Old English mearþ, Old Norse mörðr "marten"), probably from PIE *martu- "bride," perhaps on some fancied resemblance, or else a Germanic euphemism for the real name of the animal, which might have been taboo. In Middle English the animal itself typically was called marter, directly from Old French martre, but marten took over this sense in English c. 1400.
Example
- 1. Pine marten tracks were spotted in snow at castle ward in co down , northern ireland . Five cranes paid a visit to buscot and coleshill estate in oxfordshire .
- 2. Other items found in the grave included the wing tip of a golden eagle , the tail of a cow , two marten skulls and a bone from a wild boar .
- 3. Siberian weasel , yellow-throated marten and crab-eating mongoose are among the many creatures they 've snapped .
- 4. Results showed that both marten and weasel mainly preyed on small mammals , with large mammals as secondary diet item .
- 5. The stone marten is a predatory nocturnal mammal with feeding habits similar to those of domestic cats .