pinto

Where does the word "pinto" come from? It comes from Latin pingere, passing through Spanish before entering English (1860s).

Pinto’s story begins in Latin: pingere meant “to paint.” To paint. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Spanish as pinto. Painted, spotted. It reached English by 1860s as pinto. Used for spotted horses of the Great Plains, and for the speckled pinto bean. Today, pinto means a horse with irregular white and dark patches.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient pingere "to paint", to paint.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · medieval pinto "painted", painted, spotted.
3. Stage 3 · American English · 1860s pinto "piebald horse", used for spotted horses of the Great Plains, and for the speckled pinto bean.