Chameleon
/kəˈmiː.li.ən/noun
A lizard known for changing color and blending into its surroundings.
Did you know?The word entered English through Latin and Greek, and ancient writers used it for a creature so uncanny that its name became tied to change itself.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱm̥h₂el-
“ground, earth”
Ancient Greek
Greek
χαμαιλέων (khamailéōn)
“literally 'ground lion'; a lizard thought of as a low, earth-dwelling lion-like creature”
Late Latin
Latin
chamaeleon
“chameleon”
Old French
Old French
chameleon
“chameleon”
Middle English
English
chamaeleon / chamelon
“chameleon”
Modern English
English
chameleon
“a lizard that can change color”