noun · masculinethird declension
chamaeleōn
chamaeleōn m (genitive chamaeleōnis or chamaeleontis)
Classical[kʰaˈmae̯.ɫe.oːn]Ecclesiastical[kaˈmɛː.le.on]
Meaning
- chameleon (a kind of lizard)
- femininesometimescarline thistle
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | chamaeleōn | chamaeleōnēs chamaeleontēs |
| genitive | chamaeleōnis chamaeleontis | chamaeleōnum chamaeleontum |
| dative | chamaeleōnī chamaeleontī | chamaeleōnibus chamaeleontibus |
| accusative | chamaeleōnem chamaeleontem | chamaeleōnēs chamaeleontēs |
| ablative | chamaeleōne chamaeleonte | chamaeleōnibus chamaeleontibus |
| vocative | chamaeleōn | chamaeleōnēs chamaeleontēs |
chămaelĕon, ōnis and ontis, m., = χαμαιλέων.
I. Masc., a kind of lizard that changes its color, the chameleon, Plin. 8, 33, 51, § 120; 10, 52, 73, § 143; Gell. 10, 12, 1 sq.—
II. Masc. and fem., a plant, the carline thistle; masc., Plin. 22, 18, 21, § 45; 27, 13, 118, § 143; fem., id. 30, 4, 10, § 30.
Origins
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeǵʰ-
- Latinchamaeleōn
Proto-Indo-European *dʰéǵʰōmder. Ancient Greek χαμαί (khamaí) Ancient Greek λέων (léōn) Akkadian 𒌨𒈤𒊭𒆠 (nēšu ša qaqqari)calq. Ancient Greek χαμαιλέων (khamailéōn)bor. Latin chamaeleōn Borrowed from Ancient Greek χαμαιλέων (khamailéōn), from χαμαί (khamaí, “on the earth, on the ground”) + λέων (léōn, “lion”); ultimately a calque from Akkadian 𒌨𒈤𒊭𒆠 (nēšu ša qaqqari, “chameleon, reptile”, literally “lion of the ground", "predator that crawls upon the ground”).
Descendants
- Catalancamaleó
- Englishchameleonfrom Old French cameleon
- Frenchcaméléonfrom Old French cameleon
- GermanChamäleon
- Italiancamaleonte
In English words that came into English from chamaeleōn
- chameleonchamaeleōn