Where does “aardvarken” come from?
aardvarken (Dutch) comes 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.
aardvarken (Dutch): aardvark, "Orycteropus afer"
Definitions
- aardvark, "Orycteropus afer"
Ancestry of “aardvarken”, step by step
aardvarken traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch varken
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | varken | A pig, Sus scrofa domesticus; A swine, a dirty,... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | varken | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | farhaz | pig, piglet |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | pórḱos | piglet |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | perḱ- | colored; motley; to open, rip up |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |