Lepus
/ˈliː.pəs/noun
A hare, especially the constellation named for the hare.
Did you know?Lepus is the Latin word for “hare,” and it became the name of a southern constellation, showing how Roman sky-mapping turned an ordinary animal into a permanent celestial figure.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lep-
“A proposed ancient root associated with hopping or leaping, though the exact prehistory of the Latin word is not fully certain.”
Latin
Latin
lepus
“A hare.”
Late Latin
Latin
Lepus
“The name applied to the hare constellation.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Λαγώς (lagṓs)
“The Greek word for a hare, used in classical astronomical naming traditions for the same animal figure.”
Modern English
English
lepus
“A hare, especially the constellation Lepus.”