axolotl

Where does the word "axolotl" come from? It comes from Nahuatl axolotl, and was adopted directly into English (1800s).

Axolotl’s story begins in Nahuatl: axolotl meant “a salamander-like water creature.” Possibly meaning "water monster" or "water dog". It reached English by 1800s as axolotl. The French army in Mexico shipped live axolotls to Paris in 1864, where they bred and became a laboratory animal across Europe; it survives wild only in the canals of Xochimilco. Today, axolotl means a Mexican salamander that retains its larval features throughout life.

1. Stage 1 · Nahuatl · pre-1500s axolotl "a salamander-like water creature", possibly meaning "water monster" or "water dog".
2. Stage 2 · English · 1800s axolotl "a Mexican salamander that retains larval features", the French army in Mexico shipped live axolotls to Paris in 1864, where they bred and became a laboratory animal across Europe; it survives wild only in the canals of Xochimilco.