puma

Where does the word "puma" come from? It comes from Quechua puma, passing through Spanish before entering English (1700s).

Puma’s story begins in Quechua: puma meant “puma, mountain lion.” The Quechua name for the mountain lion. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Spanish as puma. Adopted after Spanish contact with the Andes. It reached English by 1700s as puma. The same animal is also called cougar and mountain lion. Today, puma means a large wild cat native to the Americas, also called a cougar or mountain lion.

1. Stage 1 · Quechua · pre-1500s puma "puma, mountain lion", the Quechua name for the mountain lion.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · 1500s puma "puma", adopted after Spanish contact with the Andes.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1700s puma "the large wild cat of the Americas", the same animal is also called cougar and mountain lion.