Bubale

/ˈbuːbɑːl/ noun

Definition

A variant spelling of bubal, referring to the extinct African antelope with lyre-shaped horns.

Etymology

An alternative or historical spelling of 'bubal,' from Arabic origins. This variant spelling reflects different transliteration choices from Arabic to English across different time periods and regions.

Kelly Says

The different spellings of 'bubal/bubale' show how English borrowed African animal names during colonial times—different explorers and naturalists used different spellings, and these variants got frozen in different old documents.

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