Etymology

okapi

oka·pi
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Today it means: A ruminant (Okapia johnstoni) found in the rainforests of the Congo, related to the giraffe but with a much shorter neck, a reddish-brown coat, and zebra-like stripes on the hindquarters. Full definition →

First used early 20th c.Mvuba okapi
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The story

  1. Mvuba · borrowed fromokapi
  2. English todayokapi

Borrowed from Mvuba okapi.

First known use, by meaning

  • from early 20th c. A ruminant (Okapia johnstoni) found in the rainforests of the Congo, related to the giraffe but with a much shorter neck, a reddish-brown coat, and zebra-like stripes on the hindquarters.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.