langur

Where does the word "langur" come from? It comes from Sanskrit langula, passing through Hindi before entering English (1820s).

Langur’s story begins in Sanskrit: langula meant “tail.” Meant 'tail'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Hindi as langur. Named the long-tailed monkey. It reached English by 1820s as langur. British naturalists in India adopted the name. Today, langur means a long-tailed, leaf-eating monkey native to South and Southeast Asia.

1. Stage 1 · Sanskrit · ancient langula "tail", meant 'tail'.
2. Stage 2 · Hindi · medieval langur "a long-tailed monkey", named the long-tailed monkey.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1820s langur "a long-tailed leaf-eating monkey native to South Asia", British naturalists in India adopted the name.