mountain lion (English)
Where does "mountain lion" come from?
The English noun 'mountain lion' combines 'mountain', referring to the animal's natural habitat, with 'lion', reflecting its status as an African cat of similar size and color[1]. This descriptive compound first appeared around 1615[1].
Full etymology tree
- mountain lion (English), 'A cougar, Puma concolor.'
- compound mountain (English), 'An elevation of land of considerable dimensions rising more or less abruptly, forming a conspicuous figure in the landscape, usually having a small extent of surface at its summit.'
- compound lion (English), 'A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe.'
Descendants and derived words
- mountain lioness (English)
Sources
Updated October 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris