A large tree-dwelling lizard found in Central and South America, known for its long tail and ability to live in rainforest canopies.
From Spanish 'iguana,' which comes from the Taíno (Caribbean indigenous language) word 'iwana.' The word entered European languages in the 16th century when Spanish colonizers encountered these reptiles in the Caribbean.
The word 'iguana' lost its 'i' sound when Spanish speakers adopted the Taíno word, showing how pronunciation naturally shifts when languages meet—a guana is just an iguana with a dropped syllable!
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