Mona
/ˈmoʊ.nə/noun
A West African guenon monkey, especially Cercopithecus mona, recognized by its distinctive facial markings.
Did you know?The name was adopted into European scientific vocabulary through French and ultimately reflects a West African vernacular name; no reliable occult or mythological meaning is attached to it.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 18th Century
West African languages
mona
“A vernacular name for a particular guenon monkey; the precise source language is not securely identified.”
18th Century
French
mona
“A name for the mona monkey, borrowed through European contact with West Africa.”
1774
English
mona
“The name of a West African monkey recorded in English zoological usage.”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Cercopithecus mona
“The taxonomic name assigned to the mona monkey.”
Modern English
English
mona
“A mona monkey, especially the species Cercopithecus mona.”