Zebra
/ˈziː.brə/noun
An African wild horse-like mammal with black-and-white stripes.
Did you know?English got zebra through European languages from Portuguese or Spanish, but the animal’s deeper name may ultimately trace back to African sources that were never fully pinned down.
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
zebra
“The striped African mammal”
17th Century
Portuguese/Spanish
zebra
“A striped wild horse-like animal”
16th Century
Italian
zebra
“A striped African animal”
Late Latin
Latin
equiferus
“Wild horse”
Unknown African source
Unknown
zebra
“Likely a local African name for the animal”