Manticore
late Middle English: from Old French, via Latin from Greek mantikhōras, corrupt reading in Aristotle for martikhoras, from an Old Persian word meaning ‘maneater’.
wiktionary
From Latin mantichōra, from Ancient Greek μαντιχώρας(mantikhṓras), μαρτιχόρας(martikhóras), μαρτιοχώρας(martiokhṓras, “man-eater; tiger”), from Old Persian *𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎹-𐎧𐎺𐎠𐎼(*martya-χvāra, “man-eater”). See Old Persian 𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹(martiya).
etymonline
manticore (n.)
fabulous monster mentioned by Ctesias with the body of a lion, head of a man, porcupine quills, and tail or sting of a scorpion, c. 1300, from Latin manticora, from Greek mantikhoras, corruption of martikhoras, perhaps from Iranian compound *mar-tiya-khvara "man-eater."
The first element is represented by Old Persian maritya- "man," from PIE *mar-t-yo-, from *mer- "to die," thus "mortal, human;" from PIE root *mer- "to rub away, harm" (also "to die" and forming words referring to death and to beings subject to death). The second element is represented by Old Persian kvar- "to eat," from PIE root *swel- (1) "to eat, drink" (see swallow (v.)).
