Etymology Map
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Tarantula

3 stages from Italian to English.

Today it means a large hairy spider

Where does the word "tarantula" come from? It comes from Italian Taranto, passing through Medieval Latin before entering English (1560s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
Taranto
Italian · medieval
"Taranto"
a port city in Apulia, southern Italy
2
Stage 2 of 3
tarantula
Medieval Latin · 1400s
"Taranto spider"
a local wolf spider whose bite was blamed for 'tarantism', a frenzy supposedly cured by dancing
3
Stage 3 of 3
tarantula
English · 1560s
"large spider"
later transferred to the large hairy spiders of the Americas
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Read the full story

Tarantula’s story begins in Italian: Taranto meant “Taranto.” A port city in Apulia, southern Italy. By 1400s, the word had taken hold in Medieval Latin as tarantula. A local wolf spider whose bite was blamed for 'tarantism', a frenzy supposedly cured by dancing. It reached English by 1560s as tarantula. Later transferred to the large hairy spiders of the Americas. Today, tarantula means a large hairy spider.