<P> The vernacular name `` cheetah '' is derived from the Hindi word चीता ( cītā ) , which in turn comes from the Sanskrit word चित्रकायः ( citrakāyaḥ ) meaning `` bright '' or `` variegated '' . The first recorded use of this word has been dated back to 1610 . An alternative name for the cheetah is `` hunting leopard '' . The scientific name of the cheetah is Acinonyx jubatus . The generic name Acinonyx could have originated from the combination of two Greek words : akinetos means motionless , and onyx means claw . A rough translation of the word would be `` non-moving claws '' , a reference to the limited retractability ( capability of being drawn inside the paw ) of the claws of the cheetah relative to other cats ' . The specific name jubatus means `` maned '' in Latin , referring to the dorsal crest of this animal . </P>
<P> The vernacular name `` cheetah '' is derived from the Hindi word चीता ( cītā ) , which in turn comes from the Sanskrit word चित्रकायः ( citrakāyaḥ ) meaning `` bright '' or `` variegated '' . The first recorded use of this word has been dated back to 1610 . An alternative name for the cheetah is `` hunting leopard '' . The scientific name of the cheetah is Acinonyx jubatus . The generic name Acinonyx could have originated from the combination of two Greek words : akinetos means motionless , and onyx means claw . A rough translation of the word would be `` non-moving claws '' , a reference to the limited retractability ( capability of being drawn inside the paw ) of the claws of the cheetah relative to other cats ' . The specific name jubatus means `` maned '' in Latin , referring to the dorsal crest of this animal . </P>
from which language has the word cheetah originated
from which language has the word cheetah originated
Sanskrit
Sanskrit