buffalo

buffalo · noun, verb¹

1. Ancient Greek · derived fromβούβαλος“antelope, wild ox”
2. Latin · derived frombūbalus
3. Late Latin · derived frombūfalus
4. Spanish · borrowed frombúfalo“buffalo”
5. English todaybuffalo

Borrowed from Portuguese or Spanish búfalo (“buffalo”), from Late Latin būfalus, from Latin būbalus, from Ancient Greek βούβαλος (boúbalos, “antelope, wild ox”). Doublet of bubale and buffle.

Buffalo · proper noun²

1. French · derived frombeau fleuve“beautiful river”
2. English todayBuffalo

*(North America): Probably from buffalo (“American bison”) (Bison bison), since both cities are in regions that had wild herds at the time the names originated. Buffalo, New York was named after the Buffalo River, which an alternative etymology says is from French beau fleuve (“beautiful river”), but the more likely explanation is that it was named for the animal. *(South Africa): From buffalo (Syncerus caffer), subsp. Cape buffalo commonly found in the region.

Words from the same roots