totem
English edit
Etymology edit
From Ojibwe (o)doodem(an).
Pronunciation edit
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈtoʊtəm/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈtəʊtəm/
Audio (Southern England) (file) - Rhymes: -əʊtəm
- Hyphenation: to‧tem
Noun edit
totem (plural totems)
- Any natural object or living creature that serves as an emblem of a tribe, clan or family; the representation of such an object or creature.
- The clan whose kinship is defined in reference to such an object or creature.
- 1921, Wilhelm Max Wundt, Edward Leroy Schaub, Elements of folk psychology: outlines of a psychological history:
- The totem members were forbidden to eat the flesh of the totem animal, or were allowed to do so only under specific conditions.
- 2014, Michael Pomedli, Living with Animals: Ojibwe Spirit Powers, page 165:
- These meanings flow from bear-like characteristics imprinted on totem members. Members of the bear clan may have dispositional, cognitive, and physical capabilities similar to those of bear.
- (figuratively) A symbol or personification.
- 2023 January 19, Damien Cave, quoting Richard Shaw, “How Covid’s Bitter Divisions Tarnished a Liberal Icon”, in The New York Times[1], →ISSN:
- “She became a totem,” he added. “She became the personification of a particular response to the pandemic, which people in the far-flung margins of the internet and the not so far-flung margins used against her.”
- An arbitrarily chosen object serving as a reminder to check whether one is awake or not, to aid in having lucid dreams.
- 2010, ren, “Inception and Lucid Dreaming”, in alt.religion.wicca (Usenet):
- The best way to determine if you are dreaming or not is to have a totem in your lucid dreams that does not exist in reality. Inducing yourself is as easy as waking up during the night and practicing as you fall back asleep. Say, "I will be aware I am dreaming while I am dreaming by seeing my totem."
- A tall object resembling a totem pole.
- 2014 February 4, Tom Hayllar, A Long Way Walkin’ in Australia: From the Tasman to the Timor Sea[2], Bloomington, Indiana: Balboa Press, →ISBN, page 207:
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
natural object or living creature that serves as an emblem of a tribe
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Anagrams edit
Dutch edit
Pronunciation edit
Audio (file)
Noun edit
totem m (plural totems, diminutive totempje n)
Derived terms edit
French edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
totem m (plural totems)
Derived terms edit
Further reading edit
- “totem”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
German edit
Pronunciation edit
Audio (file)
Adjective edit
totem
Italian edit
Etymology edit
Unadapted borrowing from English totem, from Ojibwe (o)doodem(an).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
totem m (invariable)
Derived terms edit
References edit
- ^ totem in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)
Anagrams edit
Polish edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from English totem, from Ojibwe (o)doodem(an).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
totem m inan
- totem (natural object or living creature that serves as an emblem of a tribe)
- totem (representation of such a creature)
Declension edit
Declension of totem
Derived terms edit
adjective
nouns
Related terms edit
adjective
noun
Further reading edit
Portuguese edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from English totem, from Ojibwe (o)doodem(an).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
totem m (plural totens)
- totem (object or creature that serves as an emblem of a tribe, clan or family)
- totem pole (Native American sculpture made by carving trees)
Romanian edit
Etymology edit
Noun edit
totem n (plural totemuri)
Declension edit
Declension of totem
singular | plural | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
indefinite articulation | definite articulation | indefinite articulation | definite articulation | |
nominative/accusative | (un) totem | totemul | (niște) totemuri | totemurile |
genitive/dative | (unui) totem | totemului | (unor) totemuri | totemurilor |
vocative | totemule | totemurilor |
Serbo-Croatian edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Ojibwe (o)doodem(an).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
tòtēm m (Cyrillic spelling то̀те̄м)
Declension edit
Swedish edit
Noun edit
totem n or c
- a totem ((natural) object or creature or the like that serves as an emblem)
Declension edit
Declension of totem | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | totem | totemet | totem | totemen |
Genitive | totems | totemets | totems | totemens |
Declension of totem | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | totem | totemen | totem | totemen |
Genitive | totems | totemens | totems | totemens |
Derived terms edit
References edit
Turkish edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from French totem, from Ojibwe (o)doodem(an).
Noun edit
totem (definite accusative totemi, plural totemler)