caiman

The word 'caiman' is a direct borrowing from the Spanish explorers and colonists who encountered these reptiles in the Americas. Its ultimate source is the Carib word 'acayuman'. Unlike many scientific terms derived from Latin or Greek, 'caiman' retains its indigenous New World origin, reflecting the fauna unfamiliar to Europeans. The term passed through Spanish into French ('caimán') and then into English in the late 16th century, solidifying its place in the lexicon for this specific group of crocodilians.

The word 'caiman' is a simplex loanword. It entered English from Spanish 'caimán', which itself was borrowed from Carib, an indigenous language of the Caribbean and northern South America.