Where does “zonkey” come from?
zonkey (English) comes from English zebra, from Italian zebra, from Portuguese zebra, from Old Portuguese enzebro, from Old Portuguese cebrario, from Vulgar Latin eciferus, from Latin equiferus, from Latin equus — swift.
zonkey (English): The offspring of a zebra and a donkey
Definitions
- The offspring of a zebra and a donkey
Ancestry of “zonkey”, step by step
zonkey traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English zebra
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | zebra | Any of three species of genus "Equus": "E.... |
| 2 | Italian | zebra | zebra; zebra crossing |
| 3 | Portuguese | zebra | zebra |
| 4 | Old Portuguese | enzebro | — |
| 5 | Old Portuguese | cebrario | — |
| 6 | Vulgar Latin | eciferus | fool, wild ass, donkey; wild horse |
| 7 | Latin | equiferus | wild horse |
| 8 | Latin | equus | a horse; a steed, charger |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | ekwos | horse |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁éḱwos | stallion, horse |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁oh₁ḱu- | swift |
via English donkey
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | donkey | a domestic animal, Equus asinus asinus, similar... |
| 2 | Middle English | donekie | a miniature dun horse |
| 3 | Middle English | don | To do, perform; To complete, finish; To make,... |
| 4 | Old English | dōn | to do |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | dōn | to do; to put, to place |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | dōną | to do, make; to put, place |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰéh₁t | to put, to place; to do |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰeh₁- | to do, put, place |