What is the Chinese word for (the beast) 'mammoth?'

[Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker]

The English word ‘mammoth’ has its origins in word in some Siberian native language that more or less translated to ‘earth’ or ‘underground.’ In a 1957 documentary “Letter from Siberia,” the narrator says that the ancient Siberians and Chinese thought that these great ‘underground’ bones must have belonged to a giant mole! The narrator further says that in *Chinese the word for mammoth is (phonetically) ‘troo-moo,’ which means ‘mother of mice’ (OK to the ancients, I guess moles were just burrowing mice).

Anyway. . .

From what cursory Googling, it appears the most likely word for ‘mammoth’ in Chinese translates to ‘hairy elephant.’ Fair enough.

The GQs:

Does something phonetically akin to ‘troo-moo’ in [a] Chinese [language] translate to ‘mother of mice?’
Can it be verified that that was indeed a local name for mammoths (or at least the burrowing beast thought to have left the bones behind) at one time ?
*The narration did not specify which Chinese language.

[eburacum45]

Yin Shu

Variations: Tien-schu, Tin-schu, Tyn-schu, Yn-schu, Yin-Shu
In Siberia, mammoth fossils were seen as the remains of giant mole-like creatures that lived and moved underground. These subterannean monsters tore up riverbanks as they tunneled, but died in broad daylight.

In China, numerous sources, including the treatise Ly-Ki, tell of the Yin Shu, the “Hidden Rodent” or “Hidden Mouse” that dwells in dark caves. The yin shu grows from the size of a buffalo to as big as an elephant in Manchurian manuscripts, but otherwise looks mouselike. It has a no tail (or a short tail), is dark in color, and has short legs, a short neck, and small eyes. Yin shu are dim-witted, slow, and extremely powerful, digging out caves in areas with the roots of the fu-kia plant. They have shown up when rivers flooded plains, and die instantly when exposed to sunlight.

Until recently, mammoth bones in drugstores were labeled as yin shu.

[Mangosteen]

“moo” or “mu” is one of many ways to say “mother” in Mandarin. Parents 父母 Fu Mu (Father & Mother).

[Reply]

Edit: If your narrator is Siberian, it is probably something entirely differently.

Sorry, I don’t know how to phonetically type Chinese, but maybe “troo” could be “shǔ”?

If so, that’d make it 鼠母, literally “rat mother” or maybe “rat matriarch” as an honorific. You can hear it here in Mandarin.

[Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker]

I just listened to the doc again, and it sounded more like ‘chu mu,’ which is close enough. Thanks, all!