Mongoose

The Mongoose is any member of a family (Herpestidae) of 33 species of small carnivorans from Asia and Africa.

The word mongoose is derived from the Marathi name mangus, Telugu- mungeesa , Kannada - mungisi . The form of the English name (since 1698) was altered to its -goose ending by folk-etymology. It has no etymological connection with the word goose. The plural form is mongooses, or, rarely, mongeese. It has also been spelled mungoose.