zebra

Where does the word "zebra" come from? It comes from Latin equiferus, passing through Portuguese before entering English (1600s).

Zebra’s story begins in Latin: equiferus meant “wild horse.” Literally "wild horse". By medieval, the word had taken hold in Portuguese as zebro. Portuguese 'zevra', wild ass, a name first used for an extinct Iberian wild horse. It reached English by 1600s as zebra. Duarte Lopes's 1591 account of the Congo described the zebra. Today, zebra means a striped African wild equine related to the horse.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient equiferus "wild horse", literally "wild horse".
2. Stage 2 · Portuguese · medieval zebro "a striped wild horse", Portuguese 'zevra', wild ass, a name first used for an extinct Iberian wild horse.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1600s zebra "a striped African wild equine", Duarte Lopes's 1591 account of the Congo described the zebra.