Outang
/ˈuːtæŋ/noun
An obsolete English variant of orangutan, referring to the great ape native to Southeast Asia.
Did you know?The name originated in Malay descriptions of the ape as an orang hutan, literally a “forest person,” though it was not traditionally a supernatural creature or human relative.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 17th Century
Malay
orang hutan
“Person of the forest”
17th Century
Dutch
orang-oetan
“The forest person; the great ape of Southeast Asia”
17th Century
French
orang-outang
“Orangutan”
18th Century
English
orang-outang
“A great ape from the East Indies”
18th–19th Century
English
outang
“A shortened or variant form of orangutan”
Modern English
English
outang
“An obsolete or historical variant of orangutan”
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