zebra
/ˈziːbrə/ (UK), /ˈziːbrə/ or /ˈzɛbrə/ (US)
noun
Origin
Portuguese
zevra — wild ass
Overview
Meaning Now
- An African wild horse of the family Equidae, distinctively marked with black and white stripes.
Language path
Latin → Portuguese → English
Earliest form
zebra
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term likely entered European languages via Portuguese sailors and explorers who encountered the animal in Africa. While the term 'zevra' was used in the Iberian Peninsula to refer to wild mountain equids (possibly hybrids), it was reassigned to the striped African animal upon contact.
Evolution
- Late Latin
equiferus
“wild horse”
Possible semantic precursor.
- Old Portuguese
zevra
“a wild ass or female mule”
Referenced in Iberian texts describing wild equids.
- 17th century English
zebra
“African striped equid”
Loanword adopted from Portuguese navigators.
Connections
Related across languages
French
zèbre
zebra
Spanish
cebra
zebra
Explore next
Related to zebra
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.