Etymology Map
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Crocodile

4 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a large reptile with long jaws, living in tropical rivers

Where does the word "crocodile" come from? It comes from Greek krokodeilos, passing through Latin and Middle English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 4
krokodeilos
Greek · ancient
"lizard"
'kroke', pebble, plus 'drilos', worm; Ionian Greeks first used it for lizards basking on stone walls, and Herodotus applied it to the Nile beast
2
Stage 2 of 4
crocodilus
Latin · ancient
"crocodile"
Romans shipped crocodiles from Egypt for games in the arena
3
Stage 3 of 4
cocodrille
Middle English · 1300s
"crocodile"
the medieval form lost the first r; scholars restored it in the 1500s
4
Stage 4 of 4
crocodile
English · 1500s
"large reptile"
'crocodile tears' comes from a legend that crocodiles weep while eating prey
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Read the full story

Crocodile’s story begins in Greek: krokodeilos meant “lizard.” 'kroke', pebble, plus 'drilos', worm; Ionian Greeks first used it for lizards basking on stone walls, and Herodotus applied it to the Nile beast. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as crocodilus. Romans shipped crocodiles from Egypt for games in the arena. From there it passed into Middle English as cocodrille by 1300s. The medieval form lost the first r; scholars restored it in the 1500s. It reached English by 1500s as crocodile. 'crocodile tears' comes from a legend that crocodiles weep while eating prey. Today, crocodile means a large reptile with long jaws, living in tropical rivers.