Vulpes
/ˈwʊl.piːz/noun
A genus of foxes; also Latin for a fox.
Did you know?Latin vulpes is the source of scientific fox names like Vulpes vulpes, and its deeper origin is likely pre-Latin and uncertain, which makes the word feel older than the empire that recorded it.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wĺ̥kʷos
“wolf”
Pre-Latin / uncertain substrate
Unknown
vulpes
“fox”
Classical Latin
Latin
vulpes
“fox”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Vulpes
“fox; later used as a learned taxonomic form”
Modern English
English
Vulpes
“a genus of foxes”
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