peccary

Where does the word "peccary" come from? It comes from Cariban (Kari'na) pakira, passing through French/Spanish before entering English (1610s).

Peccary’s story begins in Cariban (Kari'na): pakira meant “a wild pig-like mammal.” Named the wild, pig-like mammal of Central and South American forests. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in French/Spanish as pecari. Carib 'pakira'; peccaries were a major game animal in the Americas. It reached English by 1610s as peccary. Anglicized into English natural history writing. Today, peccary means a wild, pig-like mammal native to the Americas, found from the southwestern U.S. to South America.

1. Stage 1 · Cariban (Kari'na) · pre-1500s pakira "a wild pig-like mammal", named the wild, pig-like mammal of Central and South American forests.
2. Stage 2 · French/Spanish · 1600s pecari "a small wild pig-like mammal", Carib 'pakira'; peccaries were a major game animal in the Americas.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1610s peccary "a wild, pig-like mammal of the Americas", anglicized into English natural history writing.