Aurochs
/ˈɔːrɒks/noun
An extinct large wild ox of Europe, North Africa, and Asia that was the ancestor of domestic cattle.
Did you know?Julius Caesar described the aurochs as nearly elephant-sized, fiercely aggressive, and impossible to domesticate—though modern estimates suggest it was closer to the size of a large bull.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ūr-
“A wild ox or aurochs; the exact prehistoric root is uncertain but is reconstructed from ancient forms.”
Ancient Gaulish
Gaulish
ūros
“Wild ox; the source of the Latin zoological term urus.”
1st Century BCE
Latin
urus
“A wild ox, especially the powerful European animal described by Roman writers.”
Old High German
Old High German
ūrohso
“Wild ox, literally combining ūro “wild ox” with ohso “ox.””
Middle High German
Middle High German
ūr-ochse
“A wild ox; a reshaped German compound meaning “aurochs-ox.””
16th Century
German
Auerochs
“The German name for the extinct or vanishing wild ox, borrowed into English.”
Modern English
English
aurochs
“The extinct wild ancestor of domestic cattle.”