An archaic or dialectal English term for a baboon or large monkey.
From Dutch 'baviaan' or related Romance language forms (Portuguese 'babuíno'), ultimately derived from African language sources through medieval trade. The word entered English through contact with continental European traders.
Bavian is a forgotten English word that shows how European languages borrowed animal names from the places they traded with—it's the cousin of 'baboon' and entered English when Europeans first saw these animals and had to invent names for creatures they'd never encountered before.
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