Word Confusion: Gorilla versus Guerilla

Posted May 31, 2013 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

Revised as of 25 June 2021

This is another of those word confusions I don’t come across too often, but when I do, it’s definitely sigh-worthy. Although, maybe the author is confusing the hairy, unwashed aspects of guerrillas with gorillas??? Poor gorillas…LOL

Of course, gorilla has been used as a type of shorthand to quickly describe a big, violent-looking man without much brainpower.

Word Confusions…

…started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noir for you from either end.

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Gorilla Guerilla

Gorilla sitting on his haunches up against a grayish green wall, one arm bent at the elbow, his hand in a fist, staring out at us

Western Lowland Gorilla is Ltshears’ own work and in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.


The partisan on the left is carrying what appears to be a Soviet PPD-40 submachine gun. His companion is equipped with a Mosin rifle (with factory bayonet), plus German bayonet/dagger (on waistband) and two RGD-33 grenades.

Soviet Guerilla, Belarus, 1943, by Stanisweb17 is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons and courtesy of the Russian State Archive.

Part of Grammar:
Noun
Plural: gorillas
Adjective; Noun
Plural: guerillas, guerrillas
Alternative spelling: guerrilla
Powerfully built ape with a large head and short neck, found in the forests of central Africa

[Informal] Heavily built, aggressive-looking man

Adjective:
Used to describe a type of warfare

Noun:
Member of a small independent group taking part in irregular fighting, typically against larger, regular forces

Examples:
There are three races of the gorilla family: two lowland and the mountain gorilla.

Nash only ever employs gorillas on his security teams.

Adjective:
It’s guerilla tactics.

I like the idea of guerilla gardening, as it makes good use of and brightens up empty space.

One of the primary reasons the United States won the Revolutionary War was their use of guerilla warfare against the British.

Noun:
The town fell to the guerrillas.

History of the Word:
Allegedly from an Africa word for a wild or hairy person from the 5th or 6th century BC.

In 1847, it was adopted as the specific name of the ape.

A diminutive which arose with the Peninsular War of 1808-1814 and is from the Spanish guerra.

C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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Resources for Gorilla versus Guerilla

Apple Dictionary.com.

Pinterest Photo Credits:

Guerilla / Gorilla by Kristina McKay and Derek Ruiz and courtesy of Guerilla Art.

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