Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “chevrotain” come from?

chevrotain (French) comes from French chèvre, from Middle French chevre, from Old French chievre, from Latin capra, from Latin caper, from Proto-Italic *kapros, from Proto-Indo-European kápros — he-goat, billy goat.

chevrotain (French): little goat

Definitions

  1. little goat

Ancestry of “chevrotain”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchchèvrea she-goat; goat cheese , goat's cheese
2Middle Frenchchevregoat
3Old Frenchchievregoat
4Latincapraa she-goat; the odor of armpits; vocative...
5Latincapera male goat, billy goat; vocative singular of...
6Proto-Italic*kapros—
7Proto-Indo-Europeankáproshe-goat, billy goat

Words derived from “chevrotain”

  • chevrotain
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kápros →