/dʒɪˈræf/·noun·c. 1590s CE, in English travel literature; solidly attested by 1600·Established
Origin
From an East African source word through Arabic zarāfa (meaning possibly 'graceful'), giraffe passed into Italian as giraffa after 1486 — when Florencereceived a live specimen as a diplomatic gift — then into French and English, replacing the older Latin camelopardalis ('camel-leopard') that had named the animal since Julius Caesar brought one to Rome.
Definition
A tall African ruminant mammal (Giraffa camelopardalis) of sub-Saharan savannas, distinguished by its exceptionally elongated neck and legs, mottled tawny coat, and small skin-covered horns, and the tallest living terrestrial animal.
The Full Story
ArabicMedieval Arabic, 15th–16th century CEwell-attested
The English word 'giraffe' ultimately derives from Arabic zarāfa (زرافة), attested in medieval Arabic texts from at least the 9th century CE. The Arabic form is itself of disputed origin: some scholarspropose it derives from an African language, possibly Somali or another Cushitic language — the Somali word geri means 'giraffe' and has been cited as a possible substrate. Others suggest the Arabic word may come from a root meaning 'to be graceful' or 'to walk elegantly', though this folk etymology is not universally accepted
Did you know?
Before 'giraffe' won out, Englishspeakers called the animal a 'camelopard' — a name coined by ancient Greeks who believed it was a hybrid of camel and leopard. This name was so persistent that Lord Byron was still using it in 1824, and Linnaeus enshrined it in the giraffe's official scientific name Giraffa camelopardalis in 1758, meaning the giraffe is technically still a 'camel-leopard' in the Latintaxonomy used by every biologist today.
it in his Naturalis Historia (77 CE). The form 'giraffe' begins appearing in English in the late 16th century. By the 17th century 'giraffe' had largely displaced 'camelopard' in common use. The Arabic zarāfa has no established PIE root; it is a Semitic or Afroasiatic borrowing, placing 'giraffe' outside the Indo-European tree entirely. Key roots: zarāfa (زرافة) (Arabic: "giraffe; possibly related to a root connoting swiftness or gracefulness"), geri (Somali (Cushitic): "giraffe; proposed Cushitic substrate source for the Arabic form").