* Indo-European Roots: The word "horse" traces back to the Proto-Indo-European language, a hypothetical ancestor of many modern languages. This ancestral word is believed to have been something like *h₂éḱwos*.
* Various Language Families: This word spread throughout the Indo-European language family, evolving into different forms in various branches:
* Germanic: *hros*, which became "horse" in English.
* Latin: *equus*, which gave us "equestrian" and "equine."
* Greek: *hippos*, which is the root of words like "hippopotamus" and "hippodrome."
* Unknown Meaning: The original meaning of the Proto-Indo-European word is uncertain. Theories include:
* Speed: Possibly related to a word meaning "swift" or "agile."
* Strength: Some scholars think it might have meant "strong" or "powerful."
* Color: An older theory suggests it was related to a word meaning "brown," a common horse color.
The mystery persists because we have no written records from that ancient period. However, the wide spread of this word across Indo-European languages suggests its importance to early people.
Essentially, we know the word "horse" is very, very old, but its exact origin is still a bit of a puzzle.