حرباء

Concepts

chameleon

Translations

Chamäleon

caméléon

camaleonte

camaleón

χαμαιλέοντας

bukalemun

kameleon

camaleão

camaleó

camaleonti

Wurmzüngler

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ħir.baːʔ/

Etymology

* From حَرْبَة (ḥarba, “dart, javelin; weapon in a general sense”) from the root ح ر ب (ḥ r b); likely a reference to the projectile-like tongue of a chameleon. Cognate with Akkadian 𒁇𒁯𒁯𒉡 (/⁠ḫurbabillu⁠/, “chameleon”) and Eblaite 𒄯𒁀𒌝 (ḫur.ba.um, “chameleon”).
* Deriving from the root ح ر ب (ḥ r b) in the sense of "becoming enraged or to grow agitated", as the changing of color is used idiomatically to denote changes in states or moods in Semitic Languages.
* Alternatively, philologist Georg Freytag lists it as from a Persian خربا (xorbâ) (> خوربان (xwarbân, “sun-keeper”)), giving the meaning “guardian of the sun”; perhaps related to Persian آفتابپرست (âftâb-parast, “chameleon”, literally “sun-worshiper”).