mephitis

Meaning

mephitis (a poisonous or pestilential gas from the ground, e.g. from swamps or volcanoes)

Concepts

skunk

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Translations

mofeta

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Stinktier

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mouffette

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stinkdier

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gambá

zorrillo

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zorrina

ظربان

kokarca

μεφίτιδα

moufette mouffette

moffetta

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Pronounced as (IPA)

[mɛˈpʰiː.tɪs]

Etymology

From Mephītis, the name of a Samnite goddess who personified or averted the poisonous gases emitted from swamps and volcanoes. The name is from Oscan 𐌌𐌄𐌚𐌉𐌞 (mefiú) and ultimately Proto-Italic *meðjos (“middle”), as in "one who is in the middle," the sense being that Mephitis encompasses earthly ideas between the subterranean and terrestrial worlds.