The term "Chameleon" Does Not Originate from Greek but Akkadian

A completely new view on the origin of the name Chameleon was published few years ago...

The origin of the present word "chameleon" is remarkable. It is traditionally explained that it comes from the ancient Greek χαμαιλέων (khamailéōn), which is a composite of the words khamaí, which means "on earth", and the Léon, which means "lion". For the purpose binomic nomenclature, codified first by CARL VON LINNAEUS in 1758, the original Greek word was Latinized and transliterated into "Chamaeleon", building the base for national derivatives and modifications in different languages around the world: like Chameleon (English), Caméléon (French), camaleón (Spanish), camaleão (Portugese), chameleon (Czech) and хамелеон (Russian). 

 The Greek word khamailéōn originates from an even older Akkadian "nēšu sa qaqqari", literally a "lion on the ground" or more generically a "predator, beast crawling on the ground." The same expression appears in the EPIC OF GILGAMESH. The reasons which the ancient peoples led to a comparison of a chameleon with a lion can only be speculated. Most likely, the chameleon's casque reminded them of a lion's mane and the general anatomy with side- wise flattened body is the only model in lizards to resemble a big cat. 

It is also interesting that the modern greek word χαμαι means "lost", "invisible", which would make a bit more sense, because to be "unseen" is one of the chameleon's outstanding skills while movement on the ground is actually quite rare in their life history, because all the anatomy is adapted to living in trees and bushes. 

 It seems, that the potential interpretation of the etymological roots of the word "chameleon" is in fact much wider and reaches from the traditional "ground lion" to "invisible beast." The BIBLE (LEVITICUS) uses as a name for one of the "unclean" creatures the term tinshemeth ( תַּ נְ שֶׁ מֶ ת). The term was originally translated as "ground crocodile" or "mole". In the later and revised editions of the BIBLE, the word chameleon appears, reflecting the meaning of the word tinshemeth in the root of the Hebrew expression נָ חָ שׁ (nah'ash), which refers to a creature, that loudly breathes or hisses. The translation "chameleon" was used because of the infamous ability of the chameleon to blow up its body and hiss. The Aramean translates the word chameleon as ז ק י ת א (zakita, zikita)...

Cited from:

Žilková, E. & P. Nečas Chameleons in Ancient Times. Archaius, Vol. 1, No. 3: 1-11, 2020