Etymograph

English

lion

Lion comes from Old French lion ‘lion (animal)’, and goes back to Ancient Greek λέων.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλέωνléōn
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEleō
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400lion‘lion (animal)’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lyoun
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1590lion

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEλέωνléōn
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEleō
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400lion‘lion (animal)’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500lyoun
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1590lion

Earliest quotation: 1590, Edmund Spenser, Book II, Canto IX: “For with ſuch puiſſance and impetuous maine / Thoſe…”

The story

From Middle English lyoun, lion, leon, borrowed from Old French lion, from Latin leō, (accusative: leōnem), from Ancient Greek λέων (léōn), of unclear origin.uncertain The source flags this step as uncertain.

Linked words

through Latin leō

lei, lev, leu, 2 more

Today it means

noun A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek λέων / lion

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