ibis
UK[ˈaɪbɪs]US[ˈaɪbɪs]
n
A large wading bird with a long down-curved bill, long neck, and long legs.
Etymology
The word 'ibis' is a direct adoption from Latin, where it named the sacred bird of ancient Egypt. Latin borrowed the term from the Greek 'ἶβις', which in turn was taken from the ancient Egyptian name for the bird, likely 'hbj' or a similar form. This journey from the Nile Valley through Greek and Roman culture into English demonstrates a classic path for a loanword, where the original name travels with the culturally significant entity it describes. The term has remained remarkably stable in form and reference for millennia, signifying the same distinctive bird.
Analysis
The word 'ibis' is a simplex loanword from Latin, which itself borrowed it from Greek. The Greek word 'ἶβις' (ibis) is believed to be a direct borrowing from Egyptian.
Examples
The sacred ibis was often depicted in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
We spotted a flock of glossy ibises feeding in the marsh.
The ibis uses its long, curved beak to probe for food in mud and shallow water.