Etymology
Advertisement

alpaca (n.)

Andean mammal valued for its wool, 1792, from Spanish alpaca, probably from Aymara allpaca, related to Quechua (Inca) p'ake "yellowish-red." The al- is perhaps from influence of the Arabic definite article being a common element in Spanish words (compare almond). Attested in English from c. 1600 in the form pacos.

Entries linking to alpaca

almond (n.)
kernel of the fruit of the almond tree, c. 1300, from Old French almande, amande, earlier alemondle "almond," from Vulgar Latin *amendla, *amandula, from Latin amygdala (plural), from Greek amygdalos "an almond tree," a word of unknown origin, perhaps from Semitic. Late Old English had amygdales "almonds."

It was altered in Medieval Latin by influence of amandus "loveable." In French it acquired an unetymological -l-, perhaps from Spanish almendra "almond," which got it by influence of the many Spanish words beginning with the Arabic definite article al-. Perhaps through similar confusion, Italian has dropped the first letter entirely (mandorla). As an adjective, applied to eyes shaped like almonds, especially of certain Asiatic peoples, from 1849.

Others are reading

Advertisement
Advertisement
Definitions of alpaca

alpaca (n.)
wool of the alpaca;
alpaca (n.)
a thin glossy fabric made of the wool of the Lama pacos, or made of a rayon or cotton imitation of that wool;
alpaca (n.)
domesticated llama with long silky fleece; believed to be a domesticated variety of the guanaco;
Synonyms: Lama pacos
From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near alpaca

aloud

alouette

alow

Aloysius

alp

alpaca

alpenglow

alpenhorn

alpenstock

alpha

alphabet

© 2001-2021 Douglas Harper