Yegua

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A female horse, often used in agriculture or for riding purposes
2. Referring specifically to a mare, the adult female of the equine species, commonly used for work or sport
3. Denoting a female horse, particularly within the context of breeding or equestrian activities

Etymology: Spanish "yegua" means a mare, the adult female horse, and it descends from Latin "equa," the feminine of "equus," horse. The Latin word passed into Vulgar Latin on the Iberian Peninsula and developed regularly into Spanish, where the initial "e" became "ye" and the intervocalic "qu" softened to "gu," the pattern that also produced "yugo" (yoke) from Latin "iugum." Spanish speakers kept the old form alive in everyday speech, so the word has stayed in use for well over a thousand years. English took its equivalent from Latin's cousin, not from Spanish: "equine" and "equestrian" come from "equus" through learned Latin and French channels, while "yegua" never crossed into English as a loanword. The Spanish word is therefore a good example of how one Latin root produced both a popular, worn-down form in Iberia and a polished, learned one in English.

Synonyms: mare, female horse