Late 17th century. From Indian Persian baqar-ʿīd (from baqar ox, cow (from either Arabic baqar (collective) ‘bovine animals collectively’ or Arabic baqara (singular) ox, bull, cow, with reference to an animal frequently sacrificed at this festival) + Persian ʿīd), partly via Urdu baqar-ʿīd, also in forms baqra-ʿīd (with the first element reflecting a colloquial pronunciation in Urdu), and baqrī-ʿīd (perhaps originally containing the suffix -ī after the first element: see -i). In some uses with folk-etymological reinterpretation of the first element as showing Hindi bakrā, (feminine) bakrī goat (from Sanskrit barkara kid, goat).