vontsira

From Malagasy vontsira (“several similar mongoose-like animals”), from Swahili nguchiro.

vontsira (plural vontsiras)

1. A member of either of two species of small, brown, mongoose-like mammals Salanoia concolor and Salanoia durrelli, from Madagascar.

• Tirnavos, Vitranos

Borrowed from Swahili nguchiro.

vontsira

1. A member of either of two species of small, brown, mongoose-like mammals Salanoia concolor and Salanoia durrelli, from Madagascar.

• Blench, Roger; Walsh, Martin (2011), “Faunal names in Malagasy: their etymologies and implications for the prehistory of the East African coast”, in 11th International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics‎, Aussois, France, pages 1–31