Capivara
/kɐpiˈvaɾɐ/noun
A large semiaquatic South American rodent, also known in English as a capybara.
Did you know?Capivara is a Portuguese form derived from Tupi, whose Indigenous vocabulary also gave English words such as “jaguar” and “toucan.”
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Colonial Period
Tupi
kapi'ûara
“A grass-eating animal; traditionally analyzed as “one who eats grass,” though the precise segmentation is debated.”
16th Century
Portuguese
capibara
“A South American semiaquatic rodent, borrowed from Indigenous Tupi-speaking peoples.”
17th Century
Spanish
capibara
“The large rodent known in English as the capybara.”
18th Century
Portuguese
capivara
“The modern Portuguese form for the capybara.”
Modern English
English
capivara
“An established variant or loan form referring to the capybara, more commonly called “capybara” in English.”