buffalo

Where does the word "buffalo" come from? It comes from Greek boubalos, passing through Medieval Latin and Portuguese before entering English (1580s).

Buffalo’s story begins in Greek: boubalos meant “an African antelope.” A kind of African antelope, later applied to horned cattle. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Medieval Latin as bufalus. A variant of Latin bubalus, wild ox-like cattle. From there it passed into Portuguese as bufalo by medieval. Carried into Portuguese for the large horned bovine, spread via Portuguese maritime trade. It reached English by 1580s as buffalo. Settled as the English word for the large horned bovine. Today, buffalo means a large horned bovine, including the water buffalo and American bison.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient boubalos "an African antelope", a kind of African antelope, later applied to horned cattle.
2. Stage 2 · Medieval Latin · ancient bufalus "wild ox-like cattle", a variant of Latin bubalus, wild ox-like cattle.
3. Stage 3 · Portuguese · medieval bufalo "water buffalo, large horned bovine", carried into Portuguese for the large horned bovine, spread via Portuguese maritime trade.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1580s buffalo "a large horned bovine", settled as the English word for the large horned bovine.