Manta
/ˈmæn.tə/noun
A large ray with broad, wing-like pectoral fins, or a light cloak or wrap in some historical uses.
Did you know?The animal name was borrowed into English from Spanish, where manta originally meant a cloak or blanket, and the ray was named for its wide, draped shape rather than any mystical sea lore.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*men-
“to project, stretch out, or remain prominent”
Latin
Latin
mantum
“cloak or covering”
Medieval Latin
Latin
manta
“cloak, cover, blanket”
Spanish
Spanish
manta
“blanket, cloak”
18th Century
English
manta
“a large ray named for its broad, cloak-like shape”
Modern English
English
manta
“a large ray with broad, wing-like fins”