Understanding the Etymology of ‘Dinosaur’
Have you ever wondered where the word ‘dinosaur’ originates and what it literally signifies? Moreover, why might this term be considered a misnomer for the fascinating group of reptiles it describes? Let’s explore the etymology—or origin—of the word ‘dinosaur’ to grasp why it was, quite literally, a ‘terrible’ choice for these extinct creatures.
First and foremost, it’s essential to recognize that we had knowledge of dinosaurs long before they were classified as such. Contrary to popular belief, the initial discovery of dinosaur fossils did not occur solely in the early nineteenth century, when fossil enthusiasts like Mary Anning began excavating them along the southern coast of England and other locations.
In reality, humans have been unearthing dinosaur remains for centuries, even millennia; we simply didn’t label them as dinosaurs. For instance, an ancient Chinese text known as Huayang Guo Zhi, compiled during the Western Jin Dynasty (265–316 AD), documented the discovery of what it referred to as ‘dragon’ bones in Sichuan Province. When dinosaur remains were unearthed, they were often dubbed ‘dragons’ or, in Christian contexts, viewed as remnants from the antediluvian (pre-Flood) era.
Today, we understand that dinosaurs roamed the Earth during the Mesozoic era, which translates to ‘middle life’, positioned between the Palaeozoic (‘ancient life’) and Cenozoic (‘new life’). Dinosaurs are believed to have emerged around 230 million years ago, following the catastrophic Permian extinction that eradicated many dominant species of the time, including trilobites. They thrived until approximately 65 million years ago, when a massive asteroid impact in the Gulf of Mexico is thought to have triggered widespread climatic changes that led to their extinction. This event paved the way for mammals to rise in dominance, eventually culminating in the emergence of humankind.
The scientific pursuit of dinosaur fossils truly gained momentum in the nineteenth century, a period best described as the dawn of paleontology. Esteemed paleontologists like William Buckland and Gideon Mantell meticulously collected and documented the fossils being excavated. Among them was Richard Owen (1804-92), a prominent figure in the field who coined the term ‘dinosaur’ to categorize these prehistoric reptiles.
In 1841, after examining the fossilized remains of various extinct reptiles and recognizing shared structural characteristics with modern reptiles, Owen proposed the name ‘Dinosauria’, stating:
The combination of such characters… will, it is presumed, be deemed sufficient ground for establishing a distinct tribe or sub-order of Saurian Reptiles, for which I would propose the name of Dinosauria.
Etymologically, the term dinosaur is derived from the Ancient Greek words deinos (δεῖνος), meaning ‘terrible’, and sauros (σαῦρος), meaning ‘lizard’. In this context, ‘terrible’ refers to something that inspires fear, usually due to its impressive size.
However, Owen’s intention was not solely to highlight the fearsome attributes of these reptiles; he also aimed to evoke their considerable size. Ironically, many dinosaurs were not the gigantic beasts one might envision; in fact, the majority were likely no larger than a modern chicken. Interestingly, birds like chickens are now recognized as the closest living relatives of the dinosaurs that vanished 65 million years ago.
As for the ‘lizard’ aspect of ‘dinosaur’, it’s important to note that, technically speaking, dinosaurs were not lizards; they were reptiles and shared a common ancestry with them. Yet, Owen cannot be held responsible for the ‘lizard’ component of ‘dinosaur’, as he was simply adhering to a convention established nearly two decades earlier. The first dinosaur to receive a scientific name was Megalosaurus, which means ‘great lizard’. As noted in James Parkinson’s Outlines of Oryctology in 1822:
Megalosaurus … An animal, apparently approaching the Monitor in its mode of dentition, &c., not yet described… Drawings have been made of the most essential parts of the animal, now in the Museum at Oxford.
The fossilized teeth were a crucial factor in drawing this dinosaur-lizard connection, as they were among the most commonly excavated remains at that time.
Interestingly, even after ‘dinosaur’ was introduced and accepted in scientific discourse, many individuals outside the scientific community preferred older terms. For example, Alfred Lord Tennyson, in his 1850 poem In Memoriam, refers to these creatures as ‘Dragons’, coining the phrase ‘Nature red in tooth and claw’ in the process:
And he, shall he,
Man, her last work, who seem’d so fair,
Such splendid purpose in his eyes,
Who roll’d the psalm to wintry skies,
Who built him fanes of fruitless prayer,
Who trusted God was love indeed
And love Creation’s final law –
Tho’ Nature, red in tooth and claw
With ravine, shriek’d against his creed –
Who loved, who suffer’d countless ills,
Who battled for the True, the Just,
Be blown about the desert dust,
Or seal’d within the iron hills?
No more? A monster then, a dream,
A discord. Dragons of the prime,
That tare each other in their slime,
Were mellow music match’d with him.
Similarly, Charles Dickens, just two years after Tennyson, opted for the term Megalosaurus rather than the newer dinosaur when he wrote the iconic opening of his 1852 novel Bleak House:
LONDON. Michaelmas Term lately over, and the Lord Chancellor sitting in Lincoln’s Inn Hall. Implacable November weather. As much mud in the streets as if the waters had but newly retired from the face of the earth, and it would not be wonderful to meet a Megalosaurus, forty feet long or so, waddling like an elephantine lizard up Holborn Hill.
For Dickens, Megalosaurus was still the preferred term to convey the imposing size of these ancient reptiles. However, Owen’s questionable etymology ultimately prevailed, and today, it is the term dinosaur that is most widely recognized and utilized.