Caracal
/ˈkærəkæl/noun
A medium-sized African and Asian wild cat with long, tufted ears.
Did you know?The name entered European languages through Turkish, whose compound karakulak means “black ear,” referring to the caracal’s distinctive dark ear tufts.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Turkic
Proto-Turkic
*kara
“Black or dark-colored”
Proto-Turkic
Proto-Turkic
*kulak
“Ear”
Medieval Turkish
Turkish
karakulak
“Black-eared; the animal’s descriptive name”
17th Century
Portuguese
caracal
“The caracal, borrowed from Turkish forms”
18th Century
English
caracal
“A wild cat of Africa and parts of Asia”
Modern English
English
caracal
“A tawny wild cat recognized by its black ear tufts”