European fire salamander
- noun
- UK
:
salamandra de fuego europea
- The European fire salamander is known for its striking black and yellow coloring.
Examples
-
Researchers study the European fire salamander to monitor the health of European woodland habitats.
-
After the rain, we found a European fire salamander crawling near the forest edge.
-
The European fire salamander is known for its striking coloration.
-
Have you ever seen a European fire salamander in the wild?
-
After the rain, we found a European fire salamander crawling near the forest edge.
-
The European fire salamander is known for its striking black and yellow coloring.
-
Researchers study the European fire salamander to monitor the health of European woodland habitats.
Synonyms
A black amphibian with yellow spots that lives in European forests
A small black amphibian with bright yellow spots that lives in damp European forests
A European salamander with dark skin and bright yellow spots often called the fire salamander
Surface Forms
Morphology
European + fire + salamander
The phrase is a straightforward noun phrase combining 'European' (origin), 'fire' (a descriptive likening to bright, flame-like coloration) and 'salamander' (the amphibian), so its meaning — a European salamander with fiery-looking markings — is directly derivable from the parts. This kind of descriptive compound for animal names is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily understand it.
Etymology
European fire salamander gets its name from one popular story: people long ago believed salamanders 'came from fire', and the animal's bright yellow spots looked like small flames, so the word fire stuck to salamander. That's why the name today means a black animal with bright yellow markings found in Europe.
