Etymology

gibbon

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Today it means: A small, arboreal ape of the family Hylobatidae with long limbs, which they use to travel through tropical rainforests by swinging from branch to branch. Full definition →

French gibbon
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gibbon · noun1

  1. French · borrowed fromgibbon
  2. English todaygibbon

Reborrowing from French gibbon, folk etymology (compare English Gibbon) ultimately from a Northern Aslian language (compare Batek kəboɲ).

Gibbon · proper noun2

  1. Frankish · derived from*Gebawin
  2. Old French · derived fromGiboin
  3. English todayGibbon

From Old French Giboin, from Frankish *Gebawin (literally “Gift-friend”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.