The term hybrid was initially introduced into the English language in a 1601 translation of Pliny the Elder’s Natural History by English physician Philemon Holland. However, it wasn’t until the mid-nineteenth century that it gained widespread use. It originated from the Latin word hybrida, which meant “mongrel” and was specifically used to describe the offspring of pigs and boars. Hybrida was a hybrid word itself, as it stemmed from the earlier Latin word ibrida but was influenced by the Ancient Greek word hubris (meaning “outrage” rather than the “pride” connotation it has today). The etymology of ibrida remains uncertain, with the first part believed to come from a Proto-Indo-European term reconstructed as ud, signifying “outward”, although the root of the term is still unidentified. The use of hybrid as an adjective dates back to 1716, and the modern definition referring to a “partially electrical vehicle” only emerged in 2002.
