Bactrian

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A species of camel characterized by having two distinct humps, typically roaming the steppes and deserts of Central Asia
2. This large, desert-adapted mammal is recognized for its dual-humped shape, thriving in harsh environments
3. Pertaining to the ancient region of Central Asia or its inhabitants ; a large camel species with two humps adapted for desert life

Etymology: Bactria was an ancient region of Central Asia, roughly covering parts of modern Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and northern Pakistan, and its name gave English a word for the two-humped camel native to that part of the world. The adjective "Bactrian" is formed simply by adding the suffix "-an" to "Bactria," a pattern English has used for centuries to turn place names into words describing people, things or products from those places, as with "Persian" or "Alexandrian." The suffix has a longer ancestry than the place name. It passed from Latin "-ānus" through Old French "-ain" into Middle English, where it settled as the familiar "-an," and English kept the same ending when it borrowed or coined words from Bactria and other lands. The word therefore shows the same descent as many other place-based English adjectives, though its base is the ancient name of a real region rather than a later political unit.