 According to John Guillim, in his "Display of Heraldrie", the word "ermine" is likely derived from Armenia, the nation where it was thought the species originated, though other authors have linked it to the Norman French from the Teutonic (Anglo-Saxon ).This seems to come from the Lithuanian word .In Ireland (where the least weasel does not occur), the stoat is referred to as a weasel, while in North America it is called a short-tailed weasel.