pingüino

penguin

noun peen-GWEE-noh Rare

Origin: Possibly from Welsh pen gwyn (white head), applied originally to the now-extinct great auk before being transferred to Southern Hemisphere penguins.

Usage Note

Pingüino requires the diaeresis on the ü to signal that the u is pronounced in the -güi- sequence — without it, the u would be silent (as in guitarra). It is always masculine. The plural is regular: pingüinos. In informal speech, the word is also used affectionately for someone who walks with a waddling gait.

Examples

"El pingüino nadó con agilidad en el agua fría."

Natural Translation

The penguin swam nimbly in the cold water.

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