aurochs

Etymology

This word was borrowed from German Aurochs, an early variant of Auerochse, which developed from Middle High German ūrochse, meaning “aurochs”, itself from Old High German ūrohso, also “aurochs”. That Old High German word was a compound of ūro, “aurochs” (from Proto-Germanic *ūraz, *ūrô, “aurochs”), and ohso, “ox”. It is akin to Old English ūr (“aurochs”), Old Norse úrr (“aurochs”), Middle Low German ūrosse (“aurochs”) and Old English oxa (“ox”). See also ox.