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Squirrel

3 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a bushy-tailed tree-dwelling rodent

Where does the word "squirrel" come from? It comes from Greek skiouros, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

skiouros→esquireul→squirrel

Greek · ancient

Greek 'skia', shadow, plus 'oura', tail: the animal shading itself with its tail

Old French · medieval

via Vulgar Latin 'scuriolus'

English · 1300s

replaced Old English 'acweorna'

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Squirrel’s story begins in Greek: skiouros meant “shadow-tail.” Greek 'skia', shadow, plus 'oura', tail: the animal shading itself with its tail. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as esquireul. Via Vulgar Latin 'scuriolus'. It reached English by 1300s as squirrel. Replaced Old English 'acweorna'. Today, squirrel means a bushy-tailed tree-dwelling rodent.