yak

Where does the word "yak" come from? It comes from Tibetan gyag, and was adopted directly into English (1700s-1800s).

Yak’s story begins in Tibetan: gyag meant “yak.” The Tibetan name for the long-haired mountain bovine. It reached English by 1700s-1800s as yak. Tibetan 'gyag', male yak; the Himalayan animal provides milk, wool and transport. Today, yak means a large, long-haired wild or domesticated ox native to the Himalayas.

1. Stage 1 · Tibetan · ancient gyag "yak", the Tibetan name for the long-haired mountain bovine.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1700s-1800s yak "the long-haired Himalayan ox", Tibetan 'gyag', male yak; the Himalayan animal provides milk, wool and transport.