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Glite Dictionary
genus Chinchilla

genus Chinchilla

8.2
A group of small animals like mice from South America with very soft fur
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɛnəs tʃɪnˈtʃɪlə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : género Chinchilla
  • The genus Chinchilla includes several species of rodents native to South America.

Examples

  • The genus Chinchilla is native to the Andes mountains of South America.

  • The genus Chinchilla is known for its members' exceptionally soft fur.

  • Scientists are studying two species within the genus Chinchilla to understand their evolutionary history.

  • The genus Chinchilla includes several species of rodents.

  • Did you know that the genus Chinchilla is native to South America?

  • Scientists are studying two species within the genus Chinchilla to understand their evolutionary history.

  • The genus Chinchilla is known for its members' exceptionally soft fur.

Surface Forms

genus Chinchilla singular
genera Chinchilla plural

Morphology

genus + chinchilla

The phrase is directly compositional: 'genus' (a biological rank grouping related species) combined with 'Chinchilla' (the animal) straightforwardly indicates the taxonomic group containing chinchillas and related species. This standard scientific naming pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Genus Chinchilla gets its name from South America. Spanish speakers named the soft, small rodents after the Chincha people and added the small ending '-illa', so chinchilla meant 'little Chincha', and that's why the scientific genus name points to this 'group' of soft-furred rodents.