Etymology Map
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Agouti

3 stages from Tupi to English.

Today it means a rabbit-sized, long-legged rodent native to Central and South America, also lending its name to a common animal coat coloring pattern

Where does the word "agouti" come from? It comes from Tupi akuti, passing through Portuguese/French before entering English (1600s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
akuti
Tupi · pre-1500s
"a forest rodent"
named the large, rabbit-sized forest rodent
2
Stage 2 of 3
agouti
Portuguese/French · 1600s
"a large, long-legged rodent"
adopted by Iberian and French colonists describing the animal
3
Stage 3 of 3
agouti
English · 1600s
"a rabbit-sized rodent native to Central and South America"
borrowed into English natural history accounts
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