Taiga
/ˈtaɪ.ɡə/noun
A vast belt of mainly coniferous forest covering much of northern Eurasia and North America.
Did you know?English borrowed “taiga” through Russian, but its deeper origin is uncertain, with scholars linking it variously to Yakut and related northern Eurasian languages.
Etymological Timeline
19th Century
Yakut
тaйгa (täigä)
“A wilderness or forested mountain region; often cited as the immediate source.”
19th Century
Russian
тайга (taigá)
“The vast northern forest region of Siberia.”
Late 19th–Early 20th Century
European languages
taiga
“A borrowed geographical term for Siberia’s coniferous forest belt.”
20th Century
English
taiga
“The northern coniferous forest biome of Eurasia and North America.”
Modern English
English
taiga
“A cold-climate forest dominated by evergreen trees such as spruce, fir, and pine.”
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