This is a muskrat, but this was one moment in life where I was less excited about seeing a stuffed rodent and more intrigued about the word origin. I’m frequently taken by some flight of fancy, or a linguistic holiday in this case, but in German this is a ‘bisamratte’ which also means muskrat. As an aside, I wouldn’t say that I think this is revolutionary knowledge but I didn’t know that muskrats could stay underwater for twenty minutes before coming to this museum.
It is a semi-aquatic rodent, originally from North America, and belongs closer to the voles than to the proper rats. But humans being human saw it being damp and furry and called it a rat. That all aligns with both the German and English definitions of the word. Anyway, this is where my little flight of fancy begins, because Bisam also means musk. The German word has a long journey behind it, travelling indirectly through older German forms and Latin to the word ‘balsamum’ meaning fragrant and that has Greek origins as well. I was distracted with that word also being where balsamic vinegar got its name, it was just a fragrant liquid.
Anyway, I should probably get out more…