Junglefowl
/ˈdʒʌŋ.ɡəl.faʊl/noun
A wild gallinaceous bird, especially one of the genus Gallus, native to South and Southeast Asia.
Did you know?The word is a straightforward English compound from “jungle” and “fowl,” and the “jungle” part ultimately comes from Sanskrit jaṅgala, meaning uncultivated or arid land—not a mystical forest.
Etymological Timeline
Sanskrit
SA
jaṅgala
“uncultivated, rough, arid land”
Persian
FA
jangal
“wilderness, forest”
Hindi/Urdu
HI/UR
jangal
“jungle, wild land”
18th-19th Century
English
jungle
“dense wild growth; wild land”
19th Century
English
junglefowl
“a wild fowl living in or associated with jungle regions”