Chimpanzees

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Primates that are large, intelligent, and closely related to humans, native to African forests and savannas
2. Large African apes known for their high intelligence and social behavior, living in groups in the wild
3. A species of great ape found in Africa, recognized for complex social structures and problem-solving abilities

Etymology: "Chimpanzees" is simply the plural of "chimpanzee," so the story is that of the singular. The name is thought to come from a Bantu language of Angola, where a word resembling "ci-mpenzi" (recorded in the Vili language) was used for these apes. It reached English by way of French "chimpanzé," and the earliest recorded English use dates to 1738. Notably, the name was borrowed from a West-Central African language, not from any European scholarly coinage, which makes it one of the few common animal names in English with an African origin.

Synonyms: chimps