aardvark

Where does the word "aardvark" come from? It comes from Afrikaans/Dutch aarde, passing through Afrikaans before entering English (1800s).

Aardvark’s story begins in Afrikaans/Dutch: aarde meant “earth.” By 1700s-1800s, the word had taken hold in Afrikaans as aardvark. Combining "aarde" with "vark" (pig), describing the burrowing animal. It reached English by 1800s as aardvark. Dutch settlers at the Cape named it 'earth pig' for its burrowing and pig-like snout; English naturalists took the name over. Today, aardvark means a nocturnal, burrowing African mammal that feeds on ants and termites.

1. Stage 1 · Afrikaans/Dutch · medieval aarde "earth", meaning "earth".
2. Stage 2 · Afrikaans · 1700s-1800s aardvark "earth pig", combining "aarde" with "vark" (pig), describing the burrowing animal.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1800s aardvark "a burrowing African mammal that eats ants and termites", Dutch settlers at the Cape named it 'earth pig' for its burrowing and pig-like snout; English naturalists took the name over.