Etymology

terrapin

ter·ra·pin
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Today it means: Any of several small turtles of the families Emydidae and Geoemydidae found throughout the world. Full definition →

Powhatan *tōrəp
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The story

  1. Powhatan · derived from*tōrəp“sea turtle”
  2. English todayterrapin

From torup (“snapping turtle native to North America, especially the common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina)”) or from its etymon Powhatan *tōrəp (“sea turtle”) + possibly English -ine (suffix forming derivative or diminutive nouns), perhaps influenced by Latin terra (“dry land; soil; planet Earth”). Cognate with Abenaki tolba (“turtle”), Penobscot dolba and Unami (pisëla)tulpe (“soft-shelled turtle”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.