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Gharial

3 stages from Sanskrit to English.

Today it means A critically endangered, long-snouted crocodilian native to river systems of the Indian subcontinent.

Where does the word "gharial" come from? It comes from Sanskrit ghata, passing through Hindi before entering English (1815-25).

1
Stage 1 of 3
ghata
Sanskrit · ancient
"an earthenware pot"
meant 'pot, jar'
2
Stage 2 of 3
ghariyal
Hindi · medieval
"the long-snouted crocodile with a pot-shaped nose knob"
named the crocodile whose male snout bears a pot-shaped growth
3
Stage 3 of 3
gharial
English · 1815-25
"a long, thin-snouted fish-eating crocodile native to the Indian subcontinent"
entered English via French naturalist writing on the Indian crocodilian
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