Leopard Attacked People, West Bengal, India

In antiquity, it was believed that a leopard was a hybrid of a lion and a panther, as is reflected in its name which is a Greek compound of λέων leōn ("lion") and πάρδος pardos ("male panther"). The Greek word is related to Sanskrit पृदाकु pṛdāku ("snake, tiger, panther"), and probably derives from a Mediterranean language such as Egyptian.
A panther can be any of several species of large felids: the term can refer to cougars and jaguars in the American continents; and everywhere else, to leopards.
The generic component of its modern scientific designation, Panthera pardus, is derived from Latin via Greek πάνθηρ pánthēr. Folk etymology held that it was a compound of παν pan ("all") and θηρ ("beast"). However, it is believed instead to derive from an Indo-Iranian word meaning "white-yellow, pale"; in Sanskrit, this word's reflex was पाण्डर pāṇḍara, from which was derived पुण्डरीक puṇḍárīka ("tiger", among other things), then borrowed into Greek.