Etymology Map
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Pinto

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a horse with irregular white and dark patches

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

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

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.