Where does “alligator” come from?

alligator (Dutch) comes from English alligator, from English alligater, from Spanish lagarto, from Old Spanish lagarto, from Vulgar Latin *lacartum, from Latin lacertus, from Latin lacerta — lizard; ablative singular of lacerta.

alligator (Dutch): alligator, crocodilian of the genus "Alligator"

Definitions

  1. alligator, crocodilian of the genus "Alligator"

Ancestry of “alligator”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishalligatorEither of two species of large amphibious...
2Englishalligater—
3Spanishlagartolizard; beer
4Old Spanishlagartolizard
5Vulgar Latin*lacartum—
6LatinlacertusAlternative form of lacerta: a lizard; The...
7Latinlacertalizard; ablative singular of lacerta

Words derived from “alligator”

Every word from Latin lacerta →Every word from Latin lacertus →Every word from Vulgar Latin *lacartum →