Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Question: Where does the word “squirrel” originate?

Answer: The word squirrel is ultimately Greek in origin, from skirouros, or “shadow tail,” derived from skia, meaning “shadow,” and oura, meaning “tail.” The English word has had many spellings from the time Chaucer wrote of “squyrelis and bestes smale of gentil kynde” (“squirrels and small animals of gentle nature”). Among them were squyrellesquirilesquirrell, and squerel. By the 17th century, the spelling we currently use had become the standard one.