Etymograph

English

zebra

Zebra comes from Portuguese zebra, from Latin equiferus ‘wild horse’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *HéHḱus ‘swift, quick’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*HéHḱus‘swift, quick’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁éḱwos‘stallion, horse’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ekwos‘horse’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEequus‘horse’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEferus‘wild, savage, fierce, cruel’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEequiferus‘wild horse’
  7. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*eciferusreconstructed
  8. Old Galician-Portuguesec. 1100–1500enzebro
  9. Portuguesec. 1500–presentzebra
  10. Italianc. 1300–presentzebra
  11. Englishearliest quotation 2005zebra

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*HéHḱus‘swift, quick’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁éḱwos‘stallion, horse’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*ekwos‘horse’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEequus‘horse’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEferus‘wild, savage, fierce, cruel’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEequiferus‘wild horse’
  7. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*eciferusreconstructed
  8. Old Galician-Portuguesec. 1100–1500enzebro
  9. Portuguesec. 1500–presentzebra
  10. Italianc. 1300–presentzebra
  11. Englishearliest quotation 2005zebra

Earliest quotation: 2005, Apologies and Rememberances: “It's a zebra! George. OK, I should explain. A…”

first attested First attested in 1600 (as stated in the etymology)

The story

First attested in 1600. While the word was traditionally pronounced with a long vowel in the first syllable in standard English, during the twentieth century a vowel shift occurred in regions of England, with the shortening of the first vowel. This pronunciation is now used throughout the UK and most Commonwealth nations. The long-vowel pronunciation remains standard in Canadian and American English and is used in the UK only by some older, conservative RP speakers.

Linked words

through Latin equus ‘horse’

equestrian, equine, 7 more

through Latin ferus ‘wild, savage, fierce, cruel’

fierce, ferocity, 8 more

Today it means

noun Any of three species of subgenus Hippotigris: Equus grevyi, Equus quagga, or Equus zebra, all with black and white stripes and native to Africa.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *HéHḱus / zebra

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