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Kulan

3 stages from Kazakh to English.

Today it means the wild ass of the Central Asian steppes

Where does the word "kulan" come from? It comes from Kazakh qulan, passing through Russian before entering English (1790s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
qulan
Kazakh · medieval
"wild ass"
the steppe peoples' name for the fast wild ass
2
Stage 2 of 3
kulan
Russian · 1770s
"wild ass"
Peter Simon Pallas described the animal for the Russian Academy of Sciences, naming it Equus hemionus in 1775
3
Stage 3 of 3
kulan
English · 1790s
"Asian wild ass"
English zoologists took the name from Pallas's reports
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Read the full story

Kulan’s story begins in Kazakh: qulan meant “wild ass.” The steppe peoples' name for the fast wild ass. By 1770s, the word had taken hold in Russian as kulan. Peter Simon Pallas described the animal for the Russian Academy of Sciences, naming it Equus hemionus in 1775. It reached English by 1790s as kulan. English zoologists took the name from Pallas's reports. Today, kulan means the wild ass of the Central Asian steppes.