Impala
/ɪmˈpɑːlə/noun
A swift African antelope with long legs and lyre-shaped horns.
Did you know?The English word was borrowed from Zulu impala, the animal name used by speakers in southern Africa long before it entered European natural-history writing.
Etymological Timeline
Zulu
Bantu
impala
“the antelope itself”
19th Century
English
impala
“a southern African antelope, first recorded in English in zoological writing”
Modern English
English
impala
“a fast antelope of eastern and southern Africa”
Modern English
English
Impala
“used as a name for the animal in science, hunting, and popular culture”