Etymology

hyena

H4Y4E1N1A1

Today it means: Any of the medium-sized to large feliform carnivores of the family Hyaenidae, native to Africa and Asia and noted for the sound similar to laughter which they can make if excited. Full definition →

Middle English hiena ← Old French hiene ← Medieval Latin hyēna
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The story

  1. Ancient Greek · derived fromὕαινα
  2. Latin · derived fromhyaena
  3. Medieval Latin · derived fromhyēna
  4. Old French · derived fromhiene
  5. Middle English · inherited fromhiena
  6. English todayhyena

From Middle English hiena, variant of hyene, from Old French hiene, from Medieval Latin hyēna, from Latin hyaena, from Ancient Greek ὕαινα (húaina). Displaced native Old English nihtgenġe (literally “night walker”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.