cuscusn.

Etymology: Originally (i) < French couscous, †coes-coes (1756 or earlier) < Dutch koeskoes (1724 as coescoes ) < Malay kuskus , probably < a language of the Molucca Islands. In later use (ii) (in the form cuscus) probably reinforced by scientific Latin Cuscus, former genus name (1826 or earlier in this form; 1798–9 as Cœscoes: B. G. E. de la V. de Lacépède, in Tableau des mammifères 5).Both the French variant †coes-coes and scientific Latin Cœscoes reflect Dutch orthography, probably following A. Seba Locupletissimi rerum naturalium thesauri accurata descriptio (1734) I. 64, which is often referred to in early discussions of the animal (e.g. in the French source of quot. 1775). Seba cites the Dutch word (or perhaps its etymon in Dutch orthography) in a Latin context. Related earlier borrowing. Compare the following earlier passage, which may show an isolated early borrowing of the same word (transmitted via French), apparently in an erroneous form; the origin of the error is unclear as there is apparently no corresponding passage in the underlying (shorter) German text:1662 J. Davies tr. A. Olearius Voy. & Trav. J. Albert de Mandelslo 165 in Voy. & Trav. Ambassadors There is in this Island a kind of beasts they call Cusos [Fr. Cusos], that keeps constantly in trees, living on nothing but fruit. They..have a thick, curling, and smooth hair,..eyes round and fiery, little feet, and such strength in the tail, that they will hang by it.