Where does “jaguar” come from?

Jaguar derives from Portuguese jaguar, which comes from Old Tupi îagûara, ultimately from Old Tupi îaúara.

jaguar (English): A carnivorous spotted large cat native to South...

Definitions

  1. A carnivorous spotted large cat native to South...

Ancestry of “jaguar”, step by step

jaguar traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Portuguese jaguar

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Portuguesejaguarjaguar
2Old TupiîagûaraAlternative form of îaûara; jaguar
3Proto-Tupi-Guarani*jawarjaguar (Panthera onca)

via Old Tupi jaguara

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Tupijaguara—
Every word from Proto-Tupi-Guarani *jawar →Every word from Old Tupi îagûara →Every word from Portuguese jaguar →