Kraal
/krɑːl/noun
An enclosure for livestock, especially in southern Africa, or a settlement surrounded by such an enclosure.
Did you know?Kraal ultimately traces to Latin currale, meaning a place associated with carts, before Portuguese usage narrowed it to a livestock enclosure.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kers-
“To run; the reconstructed root behind several words connected with wheeled movement.”
Classical Latin
Latin
currus
“A chariot or cart; related to the idea of running or moving swiftly.”
Late Latin
Latin
currale
“A place for carts, formed from currus, “cart” or “chariot.””
13th–15th Century
Portuguese
curral
“A pen or enclosure for cattle; the meaning shifted from a cart-place to a livestock enclosure.”
17th Century
Afrikaans/Dutch
kraal
“A livestock enclosure or fortified African settlement, borrowed from Portuguese usage in southern Africa.”
18th Century–Modern English
English
kraal
“An enclosure for livestock, or a settlement organized around one.”