Travis Posted September 12, 2014 Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 We have a possum visitor at night lately. According to Spanishdict.com, the word for possum is "zarigúeya", but that word is useless. (The punctuation above the 'u' should be the double dot thing, but I don't know what it's called much less how to make it happen.) I asked the lady who cleans our house what the word for possum is, and what she said sounded like, "calcuache". That's probably spelled wrong, but that's what it sounded like. Anybody know the correct word? The names of animals, and other words you use once every three years, are so hard to remember. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RVGRINGO Posted September 12, 2014 Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 It is tlacuache. It is Huicol, rather than Spanish, and probably has many other names in other areas and cultures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted September 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 Yep, that's it. Now I remember, from three years ago, the last time we had a tlacuache....to be forgotten again, no doubt, until we have another. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pappysmarket Posted September 12, 2014 Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 Basically pronounced " Ta- QUA- chay And don't pick one up, they have razor sharp teeth! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbviajero Posted September 12, 2014 Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 It is tlacuache. It is Huicol, rather than Spanish,I'm curious,are words that start with the letters (tl),of which there are many here in Mexico derived from indigenous languages or are they also found in regular Spanish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted September 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 I thought the "tl" thing was a Nahautl construction. It sure is fun to butcher the pronunciation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More Liana Posted September 12, 2014 Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 It is tlacuache. It is Huicol, rather than Spanish, and probably has many other names in other areas and cultures. RV, it's a Nahuatl word, not Huichol. It's the only marsupial in Mexico, and it's been here longer than I have: about 60 million years. A little story about the tlacuache is here: http://mexicocooks.typepad.com/mexico_cooks/2014/07/pulque-pre-hispanic-drink-gift-of-the-gods-from-the-maguey-cactus.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooper Posted September 12, 2014 Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 Basically pronounced " Ta- QUA- chay And don't pick one up, they have razor sharp teeth! It is pronounced "tlah qua cheh" Ahí viene el Tlacuache cargando un tambache por todas las calles de la gran ciudad. El señor Tlacuache compra cachivaches, y para comprarlos suele pregonar. by Cri Cri -- legendary Mexican composer and singer of children's songs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooper Posted September 12, 2014 Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 BTW Travis, zarigueya is also a commonly used word for possum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowyco Posted September 12, 2014 Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 It is pronounced "tlah qua cheh" Ahí viene el Tlacuache cargando un tambache por todas las calles de la gran ciudad. El señor Tlacuache compra cachivaches, y para comprarlos suele pregonar. by Cri Cri -- legendary Mexican composer and singer of children's songs. ¡Zapatos usados! ¡Sombreros estropeados, pantalones remendados! Cambio, vendo y compro por igual! ... ¡Comadres chismosas! ¡Cotorras latosas! ¡Y viejas regañonas pa' meter en mi costal! cracks up nuestro nietecito.. **edited to fix typos... (per cooper's good corrections) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooper Posted September 12, 2014 Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 cracks up nuestra nieticito.. nuestra nieticto? Your possessive pronoun doesn't match the gender of the noun. nuestro nieto o nuestra nieta. And the diminutive of nieto(a) is nietecito not nieticito. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travis Posted September 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2014 BTW Travis, zarigueya is also a commonly used word for possum. Thanks. When I was describing it to our housekeeper--because I wanted to explain what's making a mess on our terrace--I used that word but I think I lacked conviction. Ha. She immediately switched to tlacuache. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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