Etymograph

English

macaque

Macaque comes from Portuguese macaco ‘monkey’.

  1. Portuguesec. 1500–presentmacaco‘monkey’
  2. Frenchc. 1600–presentmacaque
  3. Englishearliest quotation 2019same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Portuguesec. 1500–presentmacaco‘monkey’
  2. Frenchc. 1600–presentmacaque
  3. Englishearliest quotation 2019same form

Earliest quotation: 2019, Ocean Vuong, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous: “They are able to recall past images and apply…”

The story

Unadapted borrowing from French macaque, from Portuguese macaco, of uncertain origin (see macaco for more).uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain.

Every English word from Portuguese macaco

Today it means

noun Any of a group of Old World monkeys of the genus Macaca.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Portuguese macaco / macaque

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