Roan
/roʊn/noun
A horse or other animal whose coat is mixed with colored and white hairs.
Did you know?English roan is first recorded in the 16th century and likely came through French from a Spanish or Italian word for a reddish-brown horse, but its exact deeper origin is uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
roan
“A mixed-colored horse coat, especially reddish with white hairs”
Middle French
French
roan
“A horse of a reddish or reddish-brown color”
Spanish/Italian
Romance
ruano / roano
“A reddish-brown horse or coat color”
Unknown earlier source
?
—
“The deeper origin is uncertain and not securely established”