vicuna

Where does the word "vicuna" come from? It comes from Quechua wik'uña, passing through Spanish before entering English (1700s-1800s).

Vicuna’s story begins in Quechua: wik'uña meant “vicuña.” The name for the small, wild Andean camelid prized for its fine wool. By 1500s-1600s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as vicuña. Inca law protected the vicuña, which was sheared only in royal round-ups. It reached English by 1700s-1800s as vicuna. A 1600s English form was 'vigogne', taken from French rather than Spanish. Today, vicuna means a wild South American camelid valued for its exceptionally fine wool.

1. Stage 1 · Quechua · pre-1500s wik'uña "vicuña", the name for the small, wild Andean camelid prized for its fine wool.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · 1500s-1600s vicuña "vicuña", Inca law protected the vicuña, which was sheared only in royal round-ups.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1700s-1800s vicuna "a wild Andean camelid with extremely fine wool", a 1600s English form was 'vigogne', taken from French rather than Spanish.