mountain chinchilla
- noun
- /ˈmaʊntən tʃɪnˈtʃɪlə/
:
chinchilla de montaña
- Many people are surprised to learn that the mountain chinchilla is now bred in captivity as a pet.
Examples
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The mountain chinchilla is known for its exceptionally soft, dense fur.
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Deforestation in the Andes poses a serious threat to the wild population of the mountain chinchilla.
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The mountain chinchilla is known for its soft fur.
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Many people keep mountain chinchillas as pets.
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Many people are surprised to learn that the mountain chinchilla is now bred in captivity as a pet.
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The mountain chinchilla is known for its exceptionally soft, dense fur.
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Deforestation in the Andes poses a serious threat to the wild population of the mountain chinchilla.
Synonyms
3
6.8
A small South American animal with very soft grey fur and long round ears
A small animal like a mouse with very soft grey fur from the Andes, often bred for its fur
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward noun–noun compound where 'mountain' modifies 'chinchilla', indicating a chinchilla associated with mountains; a learner who knows both words can directly infer it refers to a type of chinchilla from mountainous areas. This compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically and shows no idiomatic or metaphorical shift, so the meaning is immediately derivable from the parts.
Etymology
Mountain chinchilla gets its name from Spanish. One popular story says chinchilla came from the name of the Chincha people with the small ending '-illa' to mean 'little', and mountain was added because the animal lives high in the Andes, so the name tells us it is a small animal from the mountains.