Where does “zébrette” come from?
zébrette (French) comes from French zèbre, from Portuguese zebra, from Old Portuguese enzebro, from Old Portuguese cebrario, from Vulgar Latin eciferus, from Latin equiferus, from Latin equus, from Proto-Italic ekwos — swift.
zébrette (French): girl
Ancestry of “zébrette”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | zèbre | zebra; guy, chap; first-person singular present... |
| 2 | Portuguese | zebra | zebra |
| 3 | Old Portuguese | enzebro | — |
| 4 | Old Portuguese | cebrario | — |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | eciferus | fool, wild ass, donkey; wild horse |
| 6 | Latin | equiferus | wild horse |
| 7 | Latin | equus | a horse; a steed, charger |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | ekwos | horse |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁éḱwos | stallion, horse |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁oh₁ḱu- | swift |