Nasalis larvatus
- noun
- Specialized
:
Nasalis larvatus
- The Nasalis larvatus is easily recognizable by its distinctive long, bulbous nose and reddish-brown fur.
Examples
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One of the major targets in the late afternoon shoot was the Proboscis Monkey, Nasalis larvatus.
Academic text (2008) -
Many tourists travel to Borneo to see the Nasalis larvatus, known for its unique appearance and fascinating behavior.
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The Nasalis larvatus, commonly called the proboscis monkey, can often be found near rivers in the rainforests of Borneo.
Synonyms
A large monkey from Borneo with a long round nose on adult males
Surface Forms
Morphology
Nasalis + larvatus
This is a Latin binomial: knowing 'Nasalis' (a monkey genus) gives a clear cue that the phrase names a species of monkey, but the second element 'larvatus' has no accessible English meaning here and the whole string functions as a taxonomic label rather than a compositional description. Because part of the meaning (genus = monkey) is recoverable but the specific sense is not derivable from common-word knowledge, the expression is only partially transparent to an average B1 learner.
Etymology
Nasalis larvatus comes from Latin words that describe the monkey's face: nasalis means 'of the nose' and larvatus means 'masked'. So the name points to its very large nose and unusual face, which helps you remember this big-nosed Borneo monkey.
