aardwolf

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁er-
2. Proto-Germanic*erþō
3. Proto-West Germanic*erþu
4. Old Dutchertha
5. Middle Dutchāerde
6. Dutchaarde
7. Afrikaansaarde
8. Proto-Indo-European*wl̥kʷós?
9. Proto-Indo-European*wĺ̥kʷos
10. Proto-Germanic*wulfaz
11. Proto-West Germanic*wulf
12. Old Dutch*wulf
13. Middle Dutchwolf
14. Dutchwolf
15. Afrikaanswolf
16. Afrikaansaardwolf
17. Dutchaardwolf
18. English todayaardwolf

Borrowed from South African Dutch aardwolf (whence Afrikaans aardwolf), from aard- (prefix meaning ‘earth’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁er- (“earth”), probably from the fact that the animal rests in burrows in the ground during the day) + wolf (“wolf”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wĺ̥kʷos (“wolf”)), influenced by English wolf (the second element of aardwolf is pronounced like that word, and one plural form is aardwolves; the Dutch plural form is aardwolven).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from early 19th c. A nocturnal, insectivorous mammal (Proteles cristatus), having yellowish fur with vertical black stripes, and a long mane down the midline of the neck and back; it is related to and resembles the hyena, and is native to eastern and southern Africa.