Erinaceous: Wacky Word Wednesday

Welcome back to Wacky Word Wednesday, a weekly celebration of the wackiest and most interesting words from all over the world. These days, pictures of cute small animals in all shapes and forms have become quite the internet phenomena. Today’s wacky word will invite you into the world of a prickly little friend who has recently found fame online.

Erinaceous [er-uh-nay-shus] -adj Like or relating to the hedgehog

Today’s wacky word originates from the Latin ērināceus for hedgehog, followed by the suffix –ous referring to the possession of a quality. The word is often related to the word “erinaceinae,” which refers to the subfamily of spiny mammals in the order Erinaceomorpha. The other kind of animal in the order are the gymnures or moonrats of South-east Asia. Currently living in Europe, Asia, and Africa, the hedgehog was named for its peculiar foraging methods. They constantly hunt for food such as insects, worms, centipedes, snails, mice, frogs and snakes to make up most of their diet. While hunting amid the shrubbery for their meal, hedgehogs often emit a pig-like grunt, hence the name hedgehog.

While hedgehogs are known for the sharp spines that stick out of their backs when under attack, these small animals are actually soft and friendly most of the times. Because of the cuteness of their pinkish belly, tiny legs, and stretchy bodies, hedgehogs are becoming one of the most popular pets, and images of hedgehogs curling up in a prickly ball or doing funny poses with their short legs have gone viral on the internet.

Besides referring to anything hedgehog related, today’s wacky word also describes people who get defensive when under pressure, or those who are always alarmed. Due to the hedgehog’s nature of hibernation in cold climates, this word also describes those who sleep all the time in winter.

Here are two examples of erinaceous used in a sentence.

• “Is Martin Freeman erinaceous?”                                                                                           “Yes: he laughs, he cries, and then rolls himself into a little prickly ball and hibernates for the winter.” (Urban Dictionary)

• My erinaceous boyfriend looks cute curled up in bed. (Steadfast)

If you ever think about adopting a cute hedgehog or describing a hedge-hog like friend, don’t forget the word erinaceous. See you next week for another fresh edition of Wacky Word Wednesday!

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