American marten
- noun
- /əˈmɛrɪkən ˈmɑrtən/
- US
:
marta americana
- The American marten is often found in northern forests and is known for its luxurious fur.
Examples
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Trappers once heavily hunted the American marten for the fur trade in North America.
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Climate change threatens the habitat of the American marten in parts of Canada.
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The American marten is known for its beautiful fur.
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Many American martens live in the forests of Canada.
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The American marten is a small mammal that thrives in the forests of North America.
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The rich, brown fur of the American marten is highly valued in the fashion industry.
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Due to habitat loss, the population of the American marten has decreased significantly in recent years.
Synonyms
A small wild animal like a weasel, native to North America with soft brown fur
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun species name: 'American' simply identifies the geographic provenance of the animal 'marten', so the meaning 'a marten from the Americas' is directly derivable from the constituents. This is fully compositional and follows common cross-linguistic naming patterns, not idiomatic or metaphorical, so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand it.
Etymology
American marten comes from the old fur trade: people called the small, weasel-like animal a marten, and adding American showed it was the North American kind. That's why the name points to a brownish animal prized for its 'pelt'.
