zarigüeya

Spanish

Etymology

From Brazilian Portuguese çarigueia, from Old Tupi sariwé, sarigwé.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Spain) /θaɾiˈɡweʝa/ [θa.ɾiˈɣ̞we.ʝa]

 

• IPA^(key): (Latin America, Philippines) /saɾiˈɡweʝa/ [sa.ɾiˈɣ̞we.ʝa]

• IPA^(key): (most of Latin America, Philippines) /saɾiˈɡweʝa/ [sa.ɾiˈɣ̞we.ʝa]
• IPA^(key): (Buenos Aires and environs) /saɾiˈɡweʃa/ [sa.ɾiˈɣ̞we.ʃa]
• IPA^(key): (elsewhere in Argentina and Uruguay) /saɾiˈɡweʒa/ [sa.ɾiˈɣ̞we.ʒa]

• Audio (Spain):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eʝa
• Syllabification: za‧ri‧güe‧ya

Noun

zarigüeya f (plural zarigüeyas)

1. opossum

   Synonyms: (Argentina, Uruguay) comadreja, (Mexico) tlacuache

   Las zarigüeyas son el marsupial más extendido del continente americano.

   Opossums are the most widespread marsupial of the Americas.

Further reading

• “zarigüeya”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10