mountain lion (English)
Where does "mountain lion" come from?
First appearing in English around 1615, the name 'mountain lion' is a descriptive compound formed by combining 'mountain,' referring to the animal's rugged habitat, with 'lion.' This designation was adopted by early English speakers to describe the large, tawny cat found in the Americas by referencing the familiar African feline of similar size and appearance.
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.'
- inherited mountain (Middle English), 'alternative form of mountayne'
- inherited muntaine (Anglo-Norman)
- derived montānia (Latin), 'mountainous area'
- derived montem (Latin), 'accusative singular of mōns'
- inherited *monti- (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived montem (Latin), 'accusative singular of mōns'
- derived montānia (Latin), 'mountainous area'
- inherited muntaine (Anglo-Norman)
- inherited mountain (Middle English), 'alternative form of mountayne'
- compound lion (English), 'A big cat, Panthera leo, native to Africa, India and formerly much of Europe.'
- borrowed lion (Old French), 'lion (animal)'
- inherited leō (Latin), 'lion'
- inherited λέων (léōn) (Ancient Greek), 'lion'
- inherited leō (Latin), 'lion'
- borrowed lion (Old French), 'lion (animal)'
- 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.'
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris