Capibara
/ˌkæpɪˈbɑːrə/noun
A capybara, the world’s largest living rodent, native to South America.
Did you know?Capibara comes through Spanish from Indigenous Tupi languages of Brazil, where related forms are traditionally interpreted as referring to an animal that eats grass or slender leaves.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Tupi
ka'apiûara
“An Indigenous Tupi form traditionally interpreted as referring to a grass- or leaf-eating animal; the precise analysis is debated.”
16th Century
Old Tupi
capyûara
“A name for the large South American rodent in Tupi usage.”
16th–17th Century
Portuguese
capivara
“The Portuguese name adopted for the animal in Brazil.”
16th–17th Century
Spanish
capibara
“The Spanish form of the South American animal’s Indigenous name.”
Modern English
English
capibara / capybara
“A capybara, the largest living rodent, found chiefly in wetlands and grasslands of South America.”