The [[English]] word ''chameleon'' (also chamaeleon) derives from [[Latin]] ''chamaeleō'', a borrowing of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek_language Ancient Greek] χαμαιλέων (''khamailéōn''), a compound of χαμαί (khamaí) "on the ground" and λέων (léōn) "lion". The [[Greek]] word is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calque calque] translating the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akkadian_language Akkadian] ''nēš'' ''qaqqari'', [[literally]] 'lion ground' (adjectives follow nouns in Akkadian). | The [[English]] word ''chameleon'' (also chamaeleon) derives from [[Latin]] ''chamaeleō'', a borrowing of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek_language Ancient Greek] χαμαιλέων (''khamailéōn''), a compound of χαμαί (khamaí) "on the ground" and λέων (léōn) "lion". The [[Greek]] word is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calque calque] translating the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akkadian_language Akkadian] ''nēš'' ''qaqqari'', [[literally]] 'lion ground' (adjectives follow nouns in Akkadian). |