chaparral

Where does the word "chaparral" come from? It comes from Basque txapar, passing through Spanish before entering English (1850s).

Chaparral’s story begins in Basque: txapar meant “thicket.” A thicket. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Spanish as chaparro. A dwarf evergreen oak. It reached English by 1850s as chaparral. Used for California's scrub-covered hills. Today, chaparral means dense thorny shrubland, especially in California.

1. Stage 1 · Basque · medieval txapar "thicket", a thicket.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · medieval chaparro "scrub oak", a dwarf evergreen oak.
3. Stage 3 · American English · 1850s chaparral "shrubland", used for California's scrub-covered hills.