gazelle

Where does the word "gazelle" come from? It comes from Arabic ghazal, passing through Old French before entering English (medieval).

Gazelle’s story begins in Arabic: ghazal meant “gazelle.” The Arabic name for the swift desert antelope. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as gazel. Arabic love poetry, the 'ghazal', often compares the beloved to a gazelle. It reached English by medieval as gazelle. Settled as the English name for the animal. Today, gazelle means a slender, swift antelope native to Africa and Asia.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval ghazal "gazelle", the Arabic name for the swift desert antelope.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval gazel "gazelle", Arabic love poetry, the 'ghazal', often compares the beloved to a gazelle.
3. Stage 3 · English · medieval gazelle "the slender desert antelope", settled as the English name for the animal.