Word of the Day, June 07: ‘Tapir’

Word of the Day: TAPIR
Pronunciation: UK/ˈteɪ.pər/ or US/ˈteɪ.pɚ/

Meaning

A tapir is a large herbivorous animal that resembles a pig in appearance but is easily recognised by its short, flexible snout that functions like a small trunk.

Example sentences for daily usage:

• The tapir disappeared into the dense rainforest before anyone could take a photograph.
• Scientists are studying the tapir to better understand forest ecosystems and biodiversity.

Origin and history

The English word "tapir" comes from Old Tupi, an extinct indigenous language of Brazil. It traces back to the Tupi word "tapi'ira," which was used by native peoples to describe the large forest-dwelling herbivore. The word entered the English language in the late 18th century, likely by way of Portuguese traders and explorers.

Also read June 06 word of the day. 

Cultural significance and modern usage

In Mayan cosmogony, tapirs (known in various dialects as danta or tzimin) were sacred. Mayan creation myths hold that gods mixed corn dough with tapir blood to create the first humans.

Killing one was historically punishable by death, and their remains are frequently found in religious cave sacrifices.

In Chinese and Japanese folklore, the Malayan tapir inspired the legend of the Baku. The Baku is a mythological, chimera-like spirit known as the "dream eater" that is believed to devour human nightmares and bad luck.

In the Amazon Basin and Central America (such as among the Bribri people of Costa Rica), the tapir is revered as a forest guardian, a "bearer of memory," and a symbol of balance. It is often featured as a clan animal and a cultural symbol of adaptability. The "Gardeners of the Forest":

Interesting facts:

• A tapir's flexible snout functions like a miniature elephant trunk, helping it grasp leaves and fruit.
• Tapirs often enter rivers and lakes to cool off, escape predators, and forage for aquatic plants.
• Young tapirs are born with white spots and stripes that provide camouflage in forest undergrowth.

Examples from literature

1. It was also becoming apparent that the possibility of supplementing their food rations with game, such as the tapir, looked bleak.- Death on the River of Doubt by Samantha Seiple
2. The Brazil nuts they had been counting on to sustain them were in short supply, and the piglike tapir, with its prehensile snout, was elusive.- Death on the River of Doubt by Samantha Seiple
3. What if I had ended up with a creature that looked silly or ugly, a tapir or an ostrich or a flock of turkeys?- Life of Pi by Yann Martel
4. In the same district of the country, and even in the same rivers—but further up among the mountains—the smaller species of American tapir is met with, but never upon the low level of the plains. - Quadrupeds, What They Are and Where Found: A Book of Zoology for Boys by Mayne Reid

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