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nil·gai

(nĭlgī)

n. pl. nil·gais or nilgai

A large brown or bluish-gray antelope (Boselaphus tragocamelus) native to India, Nepal, and Pakistan, the male of which has short, sturdy horns and strands of long hair hanging down from the throat.

[Hindi nīlgāī, feminine of nīlgāw : nīl, dark blue (from Sanskrit nīla-) + gāw, ox, cow (from Sanskrit gauḥ; see g^wou- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).]

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nilgai

female nilgai

Boselaphus tragocamelus

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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