Dictionary

carabao en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /kæɹəˈbeɪəʊ/

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish carabao, from Waray-Waray karabaw, from Malay kerbau, from Proto-Malayic *kAr(ə)baw, ultimately from Proto-Mon-Khmer *krpiʔ ~ *krpiiw ~ *krpuʔ ~ *(kr)puh (“buffalo”). Compare Khmer ក្របី (krɑɑbəy), Halang kơpùa, Indonesian kerbau, Javanese ꦏꦼꦧꦺꦴ (kebo), Thai กระบือ (grà-bʉʉ).

Meanings

1. A domesticated subspecies of water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis carabanesis.
   • Filipinos tell several stories about the carabao. The Tagalog, who live mainly on Luzon, tell the following story about how the carabao, one of the largest animals in the country, is tricked by one of the smallest animals, a hummingbird. 2001, Greg Nickles, Philippines: The Culture, page 30:
   • The weaker carabaos are slaughtered for meat, the stronger ones put to work on Golgotha, and the drivers are assimilated into the workforce. 1999, Neal Stephenson, Cryptonomicon:
   • The Malay people who arrived in the Philippines between 1500 B.C. and 500 B.C. introduced the carabao as a work animal. Today the carabao, also known as the water buffalo, is a very important animal in the Philippines. Carabaos are popular farm animals. 2005, Cindy Fazzi, How to Draw the Philippines's Sights and Symbols, page 24:

Forms

Deriveds

carabao English · carabeef

Relateds

Bubalus bubalis carabanesis

Synonyms

kerbau

Translations (31)

tl anuwang (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · bcl karabaw (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · duo galampes (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · es carabao (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · id kerbau (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · tl kalabaw (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · bkl damulag (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · ilo nuang (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · tl kubaw (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · ivv pagad (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · bcl damulag (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · hil karabaw (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · ru буйвол (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · ms benuang (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · war karabaw (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · kak nuwang (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · duo makadaklan (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · ch cårabao (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · ru водяной буйвол (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · bkl karabaw (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · ceb kabaw (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · kmk luwang (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · pt carabau (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · tl nuwang (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · kne nuwang (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · pl carabao (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · pam damulag (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · duo galambud (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · ms kerbau (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · tl anwang (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis) · ibl nuwang (Bubalus bubalis carabanesis)