Tahr

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A wild goat species native to mountainous regions of South Asia known for its muscular build and curved horns
2. A type of hardy mountain goat inhabiting rugged terrain, valued for its agility and distinctive curved horns
3. A large goat-like mammal found in steep, rocky areas of the Himalayas and surrounding ranges, characterized by a thick coat and prominent horns

Etymology: The tahr is a wild goat of the Himalayan mountains, and its name comes from Nepal. English borrowed it from Nepali, the language spoken across that country, where the animal is called "thār." That Nepali word is itself linked to "thāral," the older form that the modern name traces back to, so the word has travelled from a local mountain dialect into English with its shape largely intact. The animal it names lives on steep, rocky slopes at high altitude, where its sure-footed climbing made it a familiar sight to people who herded and hunted in those hills. Because English speakers first met the creature through Nepali rather than through a European tradition of naming wild goats, the word carries no Latin or Greek ancestry at all, which sets it apart from most zoological terms in English.

Synonyms: Himalayan tahr, mountain goat