Camelopard
/ˈkæm.ə.lə.pɑːrd/noun
An archaic word for a giraffe.
Did you know?In medieval and Renaissance Latin, the giraffe was called a camelopardus because its body was seen as camel-like and its spotted coat leopard-like—a perfect example of how old names can turn a real animal into a mythic hybrid.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
καμηλοπάρδαλις (kamēlopárdalis)
“A giraffe, imagined as a camel-leopard hybrid.”
Latin
Latin
camelopardalis
“A giraffe; also the name of the northern constellation Camelopardalis.”
Old French
Old French
camelopard
“A giraffe.”
Middle English
English
camelopard
“A giraffe, especially in learned or literary usage.”
Modern English
English
camelopard
“An archaic or poetic term for a giraffe.”