Where does “leopard” come from?
Leopard comes from Middle English leopard, from Old French leopard, from Late Latin leopardus, from Ancient Greek λεόπαρδος, ultimately deriving from Ancient Greek λέων meaning lion.
leopard (English): "Panthera pardus", a large wild cat with a...
Definitions
- "Panthera pardus", a large wild cat with a...
Ancestry of “leopard”, step by step
leopard traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English leopard
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | leopard | — |
| 2 | Old French | leopard | leopard |
| 3 | Late Latin | leopardus | leopon, lipard |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | λεόπαρδος | leopon, lipard; leopard |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Λέων | lion |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | λέων | lion; Leo, the zodiacal sign; lionheart, savage |
via Middle English lepard
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | lepard | — |
via Middle English leperd
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | leperd | — |