Aoudads

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A species of wild sheep native to North Africa, known for its distinctive curved horns and sandy-colored fur
2. A type of large ungulate adapted to arid environments, often found in rocky terrains and known for its social behavior in herds
3. A mammal that exhibits strong characteristics for survival in harsh climates, notable for both its impressive physical features and agility

Etymology: "Aoudads" is simply the plural of "aoudad", the name for the wild sheep of North Africa's mountains. The singular came into English from French, which had taken it from Tashelhit, a Berber language of Morocco, where the animal's name was "awdad". The word thus travelled from the Berber-speaking mountain communities where the sheep lived into French and then into English, carrying the animal's name with it along the way. Because the word arrived through French rather than directly from the local language, English speakers encountered it as a foreign animal name first, not as a Berber word. The plural "aoudads" follows the ordinary English pattern of adding an "s", so the form you see is the same English noun used for more than one animal.

Synonyms: barbary sheep