Antelope
/ˈæn.tɪ.loʊp/noun
A swift hoofed mammal of the deer family, native mainly to Africa and Asia.
Did you know?The word entered English through medieval forms like antelop and probably came from a Byzantine Greek term for a fabulous beast, not a real species name at all.
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
antelope
“A fast-running hoofed mammal”
14th Century
Middle English
antelop
“A legendary or unfamiliar horned beast”
Medieval Greek
Greek
antholops
“A fabulous horned creature, probably from a learned or literary tradition”
Late Latin
Latin
antalopus
“A fabulous beast mentioned in medieval texts”
Uncertain / Folk-etymological source
?
unknown
“The ultimate origin is obscure; the word may have been shaped by medieval transmission rather than a clear older root”
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