From Turkish 'chakal,' from Persian 'shagal,' possibly from Sanskrit — a word that traveled from India to Europe.
A wild canine found in Africa and Asia, known for scavenging and hunting in packs; figuratively, a person who does menial or dishonest work for another.
From Turkish cakal, from Persian shagal (شغال, jackal), possibly from Sanskrit srgala (शृगाल, jackal) — itself of uncertain further etymology. The word travelled westward along trade and conquest routes: Sanskrit to Persian, Persian to Turkish, Turkish to Italian ciaccale and thence to French and English. Some scholars connect Sanskrit srgala to a root meaning
The ancient Egyptians associated the jackal with Anubis, the god of death and mummification, because jackals were often seen near cemeteries scavenging. Frederick Forsyth's thriller 'The Day of the Jackal' (1971) used the figurative sense — a lone, ruthless operative doing another's deadly work. In many Indian fables (Panchatantra, Jataka tales), the jackal plays the role