Pronunciation
- IPA: /lɪŋks/[1]
Etymology
It is inherited from Middle English lynx, borrowed from Latin lynx,[2][3][4][5][6] from Ancient Greek λύγξ (lúnx, “lynx”).[2][3][4][5][6] The Greek word has relatives in Germanic, such as Old English lox and German Luchs, and in Baltic, Slavic and Armenian.[4][5] It is often connected with the Proto-Indo-European root *leuk- “light”, from the animal's gleaming eyes,[2][4][5] but Beekes suggests it is a loan from a non-Indo-European language.[4]
Earliest recorded meaning
The wildcat with tufted ears, noted for its keen sight (1340).[7][3][4]
Semantic evolution
The earliest English quotations already allude to the lynx's proverbial keenness of sight, as in Chaucer's Boethius (c. 1380), where it can see through walls.[7][4] Hence lynx-eyed, “sharp-sighted” (1828), and the learned adjective lyncean (1630s).[7][4] The name was also given to the animal's fur (1839) and to a northern constellation added in 1687 by Johannes Hevelius.[7][4]
Timeline
- 1340 – the animal, noted for keen sight.[7][3]
- 1630s – lyncean.[4]
- 1687 – the constellation Lynx.[4]
- 1828 – lynx-eyed.[7]
- 1839 – lynx fur.[7]
Modern meaning
Noun
- Any of several wildcats of the genus Lynx, of northern North America and Eurasia, with long legs, thick soft fur, a short black-tipped tail and tufted ears.
- (Lynx) A faint northern constellation.
Word family
- lynx-eyed
Related words
- bobcat
- caracal
- ocelot
References
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
- ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
- ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
- ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
- ^ a b c d e f g Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Related etymologies
- sphinx · also from Greek
- cosmopolitan · also from Greek
- eunuch · also from Greek
- ecstasy · also from Greek
- phosphorus · also from Greek
- sapphire · also from Greek
- apostle · also from Greek
- polygamy · also from Greek
Cite this entry
“Lynx.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/lynx. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.
Last edited on . ·