camaleão

Portuguese

camaleão

Alternative forms

chamaleão (obsolete)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin chamaeleon, from Ancient Greek χαμαιλέων (khamailéōn) from χαμαί (khamaí, “on the earth, on the ground”) + λέων (léōn, “lion”). Second -a-, and Brazilian pronunciation with a nasal vowel, by folk etymology, interpreting the term as a compound of cama (“bed”) and leão (“lion”).

Pronunciation

(Brazil) IPA^(key): /ka.ma.leˈɐ̃w̃/ [ka.ma.leˈɐ̃ʊ̯̃], /ˌkɐ̃.mɐ.leˈɐ̃w̃/ [ˌkɐ̃.mɐ.leˈɐ̃ʊ̯̃]
- (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ka.ma.leˈɐ̃w̃/ [ka.ma.leˈɐ̃ʊ̯̃], /ˌkɐ.ma.leˈɐ̃w̃/ [ˌkɐ.ma.leˈɐ̃ʊ̯̃]

(Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐ.mɐˈljɐ̃w̃/

Noun

camaleão m (plural camaleões)

chameleon (reptile)

Related terms

lagarto

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