gibbon

See also: Gibbon

English

Alternative forms

  • guibon (obsolete)

Etymology

Reborrowing from French gibbon, folk etymology (compare English Gibbon)[1] ultimately from a Northern Aslian language (compare Batek kəboɲ).[2]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɡɪbən/, /ɡɪˈbɑn/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪbən

Noun

gibbon (plural gibbons)

  1. A small ape of the family Hylobatidae with long limbs, which it uses to travel through rainforests by swinging from branch to branch.
    • 1950, Evelyn Waugh, Helena:
      ' […] Suppose that in years to come, when the Church's troubles seem to be over, there should come an apostate of my own trade, a false historian, with the mind of Cicero or Tacitus and the soul of an animal,' and he nodded towards the gibbon who fretted his golden chain and chattered for fruit.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

References

  1. ^ Skeat, Walter William (1910), “gibbon”, in An etymological dictionary of the English language, Oxford: Clarendon, page 778.
  2. ^ Lim, Teckwyn (2020), "An Aslian origin for the word gibbon", in Lexis Link

Anagrams

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French gibbon.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈɣɪ.bɔn/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: gib‧bon

Noun

gibbon m (plural gibbons)

  1. gibbon, primate of the family Hylobatidae

French

Etymology

Brought to Europe from French India by Joseph François Dupleix, probably from an English folk etymology (compare English Gibbon)[1] with an Aslian root.[2]

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ʒi.bɔ̃/

Noun

gibbon m (plural gibbons)

  1. Gibbon

References

  1. ^ Skeat, Walter William (1910), “gibbon”, in An etymological dictionary of the English language, Oxford: Clarendon, page 778.
  2. ^ Lim, Teckwyn (2020), "An Aslian origin for the word gibbon", in Lexis Link

Further reading

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