Vicuña
/vɪˈkuːnjə/noun
A small South American camelid prized for its exceptionally fine wool.
Did you know?The Inca organized communal roundups called chaccus to shear vicuñas and release them, reserving their extraordinarily fine fiber for elite garments.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Quechua
wik'uña
“The Quechua name for the vicuña, a wild Andean camelid.”
16th Century
Spanish
vicuña
“A South American camelid and its fine wool; adopted into Spanish during the colonial period.”
17th Century
English
vicuna
“An imported name for the Andean animal and its exceptionally soft fiber.”
18th Century
Latin
Vicugna
“Scientific genus name based on the vernacular name.”
Modern English
English
vicuna
“The animal, its wool, or fabric made from that wool.”