Where does “aardvark” come from?
aardvark (Afrikaans) comes from Afrikaans vark, from Dutch varken, from Middle Dutch varken, from Proto-Germanic farhaz, from Proto-Indo-European pórḱos, from Proto-Indo-European perḱ-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
aardvark (Afrikaans): Obsolete form of erdvark; aardvark
Definitions
- Obsolete form of erdvark; aardvark
Ancestry of “aardvark”, step by step
aardvark traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Afrikaans vark
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Afrikaans | vark | pig |
| 2 | Dutch | varken | A pig, Sus scrofa domesticus; A swine, a dirty,... |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | varken | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | farhaz | pig, piglet |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | pórḱos | piglet |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | perḱ- | colored; motley; to open, rip up |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via Afrikaans aarde
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Afrikaans | aarde | Earth; earth, ground, soil |
| 2 | Dutch | aarde | earth, soil, ground; earth, ground |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | erde | the Earth; soil, ground |
| 4 | Old Dutch | ertha | earth |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | erþu | earth, world; earth, soil |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | erþō | earth |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁er- | earth |
via Dutch aardvarken
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | aardvarken | aardvark, "Orycteropus afer" |