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Where does the word "spoor" come from? It comes from Afrikaans/Dutch spoor, and was adopted directly into English (1850s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "spoor" come from? It comes from Afrikaans/Dutch spoor, and was adopted directly into English (1850s).
Spoor’s story begins in Afrikaans/Dutch: spoor meant “an animal track.” A track or trail left by an animal. It reached English by 1850s as spoor. Dutch 'spoor', track, related to English 'spur'; in modern Dutch it also means railway track. Today, spoor means the track or trail left by a wild animal.
- Stage 1 · Afrikaans/Dutch · 1800s spoor "an animal track", a track or trail left by an animal.
- Stage 2 · English · 1850s spoor "the track or trail of an animal", Dutch 'spoor', track, related to English 'spur'; in modern Dutch it also means railway track.