chimpanzee

Where does the word "chimpanzee" come from? It comes from Tshiluba (Bantu) chimpenzi, and was adopted directly into English (1738).

Chimpanzee’s story begins in Tshiluba (Bantu): chimpenzi meant “chimpanzee.” A Central African name for the great ape. It reached English by 1738 as chimpanzee. First recorded in a 1738 London magazine describing an ape brought from Angola. Today, chimpanzee means a great ape native to the forests and savannas of Central and West Africa.

1. Stage 1 · Tshiluba (Bantu) · medieval chimpenzi "chimpanzee", a Central African name for the great ape.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1738 chimpanzee "a great ape native to Central and West Africa", first recorded in a 1738 London magazine describing an ape brought from Angola.