When the term monkey was introduced into the English language in the 1530s, there was a lack of consistency in its spelling. Variations included monkaie, munckey, munkai, menkeie, munkkey, moncky, munkie, and several others. This confusion arose from the fact that the word was borrowed from an undocumented Dutch source, leading scholars to determine its spelling independently. In its original language, it likely sounded similar to monnekjin, believed to have originated from the Spanish word mono, meaning “monkey”. The term mono is believed to be a shortened form of Old Spanish maimon, which was borrowed from Arabic maymun, also signifying “monkey” (interestingly linking to the Serbian term majmun). Ultimately, this is thought to be connected to the Proto-Semitic root y-m-n, meaning “right”, although the exact etymology remains uncertain.
