Names
The name “blue wildebeest” derives from a conspicuous silvery-blue sheen to its short-haired hide, differentiating this species from the plainer black wildebeest. (The plural is denoted either "wildebeest" or "wildebeests".) Other common terms for wildebeest include gnu ( /ˈnuː/ or /ˈnjuː/) and nyumbu (Swahili). The name "gnu" originates from the Khoikhoi name for these animals, gnou.
The blue wildebeest is sometimes called brindled gnu. The blue wildebeest and black wildebeest or white-tailed gnu (C. gnou) are the two species of the genus Connochaetes, within the family Bovidae, which includes antelopes, cattle, goats, and other even-toed horned ungulates.
The animal's specific name taurinus is Latin for "like a bull".
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