Lizard
/ˈlɪz.əd/noun
A scaly reptile, typically with a long body, tail, and four legs, though some species are limbless.
Did you know?English *lizard* ultimately comes from Latin *lacertus*, a word for a lizard that was later reshaped by folk association with *lucertola* in Romance languages, showing how words can mutate like living creatures.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leǵ- / *leg-
“A proposed ancestral root behind Latin words for the body, especially the arm and limbs.”
Latin
Latin
lacertus
“The upper arm; also a lizard in later Latin usage.”
Late Latin
Latin
lacerta
“A lizard.”
Old French
Old French
lesarde / lezarde
“A lizard.”
Middle English
English
lizard
“A lizard.”
Modern English
English
lizard
“A scaly reptile, typically with a long body and tail.”
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