Etymology. First attested in English in 1785, the word camelopardalis comes from Latin, and it is the romanization of the Greek "καμηλοπάρδαλις" meaning "giraffe", from "κάμηλος" (kamēlos), "camel" + "πάρδαλις" (pardalis), "spotted", because it has a long neck like a camel and spots.

What does Giraffa camelopardalis mean in English?

Noun. 1. Giraffa camelopardalis - tallest living quadruped; having a spotted coat and small horns and very long neck and legs; of savannahs of tropical Africa. camelopard, giraffe. ruminant - any of various cud-chewing hoofed mammals having a stomach divided into four (occasionally three) compartments.

What is the story behind Camelopardalis?

Camelopardalis was first recorded by Jakob Bartsch in 1624, but was most likely created by Petrus Plancius in 1613. ... It was German astronomer Johannes Hevelius who gave it the official name of “Camelopardus” (alternately “Camelopardalis”) because he saw the constellation's many faint stars as the spots of a giraffe.