tiger

Where does the word "tiger" come from? It comes from Avestan tigra- / tighri-, passing through Greek, Latin and Old French before entering English (1200s).

Tiger’s story begins in Avestan: tigra- / tighri- meant “sharp, pointed; arrow.” Sharp, pointed / arrow, an Iranian root possibly describing the animal's speed or its spotted look. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Greek as tigris. Greek writers linked it to the Tigris river, said to be swift like the tiger. From there it passed into Latin as tigris by ancient. Carried directly from Greek into Latin. Old French picked it up next, as tigre, around medieval. Carried into French animal vocabulary from Latin. It reached English by 1200s as tiger. Settled as the English word for the large striped cat. Today, tiger means a large striped wild cat native to Asia.

1. Stage 1 · Avestan · ancient tigra- / tighri- "sharp, pointed; arrow", sharp, pointed / arrow, an Iranian root possibly describing the animal's speed or its spotted look.
2. Stage 2 · Greek · ancient tigris "the tiger", Greek writers linked it to the Tigris river, said to be swift like the tiger.
3. Stage 3 · Latin · ancient tigris "the tiger", carried directly from Greek into Latin.
4. Stage 4 · Old French · medieval tigre "the striped big cat", carried into French animal vocabulary from Latin.
5. Stage 5 · English · 1200s tiger "a large striped big cat", settled as the English word for the large striped cat.