oryctérope
/ɔ.ʁik.te.ʁɔp/masculine
The French word for aardvark is oryctérope.
oryctérope is a noun used to refer to the aardvark, a specific type of mammal.
Meaning: mammal (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɔ.ʁik.te.ʁɔp/. The word has 4 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word oryctérope is built from Ancient Greek roots meaning 'miner' and 'foot'.
- Unlike the English 'aardvark', which has roots in Afrikaans, the French oryctérope bypasses all Germanic or African influences entirely.
- The word oryctérope is an example of a 'learned word', meaning it was coined by scholars rather than evolving naturally from folk speech.
Examples in context
- L'oryctérope est un animal de taille moyenne.The aardvark is a medium-sized animal.This sentence is useful for describing the size of the oryctérope.Tatoeba #6304693 by Adelpa, translation #6304675 by Adelpa
- L'oryctérope est un mammifère originaire d'Afrique, reconnaissable par son long museau et sa langue collante.The aardvark is a mammal originating from Africa, recognizable by its long snout and sticky tongue.
- Je cherche un oryctérope dans le zoo.I am looking for an aardvark in the zoo.
- L'oryctérope mange des termites.The aardvark eats termites.
Example conversation
At a nature museum, Lucas and Manon are looking at books.
- LucasRegarde, cet oryctérope est très étrange !Look, this aardvark is very strange!
- ManonOui, il est vraiment fascinant, Lucas.Yes, it is truly fascinating, Lucas.
- LucasSais-tu où il vit ?Do you know where it lives?
- ManonIl vit principalement en Afrique.It lives mainly in Africa.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “aardvark” translations and entries oryctérope, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries oryctérope, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
