Jackal
/ˈdʒæk.əl/noun
A medium-sized wild canine of Africa and Asia, related to the dog and wolf.
Did you know?English *jackal* ultimately came through French and Portuguese from an Arabic word *šaqqāl*, likely borrowed from Persian, showing how a predator’s name traveled across the Islamic world into Europe.
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
jackal
“A wild dog-like carnivore of Africa and Asia.”
16th Century
French/Portuguese
chacal / chacal
“A jackal.”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
šaqqāl
“A jackal.”
Persian
Persian
šagāl
“A jackal.”
Ancient Indo-Iranian
?
Unknown
“The deeper origin is uncertain.”