Lemur

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈliːmÉ™(r)/
• Rhymes: -iːmÉ™(r)
• Homophones: Lima (in non-rhotic accents)

Origin

From Latin lemurēs (pl. only), "spirits of the dead". The name was originally given to the slender loris (then Lemur tardigradus) in 1754 by Carl Linnaeus. According to Linnaeus, the name was selected because of the nocturnal activity and slow movements of the slender loris. In 1758, Linnaeus added—among others—the ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) to the genus Lemur. All other species, including the slender loris, were eventually moved to other genera. In time, the word became the colloquial name for all primates endemic to Madagascar.

Full definition of lemur

Noun

1. (colloquial) Any strepsirrhine primate of the infraorder Lemuriformes, superfamily Lemuroidea, native only to Madagascar and some surrounding islands.
2. (zoology) The genus Lemur, represented by the ring-tailed lemur ().
• 1758, Linnaeus, C., Systema Naturæ
3. (obsolete) The genus for a loris (, now ), predating the 10th edition of Systema Naturæ.
• 1754, Linnaeus, C., Museum Adolphi Friderici Regis, "Lemures dixi hos, quod noctu imprimis obambulant, hominibus quodanmodo similes, & lento passu vagantur."

Usage notes

The taxonomy is currently disputed, see Taxonomy of lemurs.

Derived terms

Related terms

• Lemuria