Capivary
/ˌkæpɪˈvɑːrɪ/noun
A capybara, the large semiaquatic rodent native to South America.
Did you know?Capivary is an older English variant of capybara, whose name entered European languages from Indigenous Tupi-Guarani terminology in South America.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Colonial Period
Tupi-Guarani
ka'apiûara
“A term associated with the capybara, commonly interpreted as “grass eater””
16th Century
Portuguese
capivara
“The South American capybara”
17th Century
Spanish
capibara
“The capybara”
18th Century
English
capybara
“The large semiaquatic South American rodent”
18th–19th Century
English
capivary
“An alternative or variant English form of capybara”
Modern English
English
capivary
“An uncommon variant name for the capybara”