monitor lizard

Meaning

Noun

• Any of various large carnivorous lizards of the family Varanidae, all of whose extant species are of genus Varanus, native to Africa, Asia and Australia.

Origin

• From the obsolete taxa Monitor (genus) and Lacerta monitor (species) now displaced by Varanus within the single-species family Varanidae, themselves learnedly invented by some Germans who calqued its German disfigured designation Warner by Latin monitor, as it looks like warnen + -er, while it is actually Arabic وَرَن, apparently an Oxford “-er” like shortening of Warneidechse for more properly vocalized Waraneidechse, now only Waran, but yore even called Wachhalter, as also safeguard, which monumentizes that the misetymologization was supported by their habit of standing on their hind legs and appearing to study (i.e. monitor) their surroundings.