kameleon

Kameleon is a variant spelling of the word chameleon, used mainly in Dutch where the term for the reptile is pronounced “kameleon.” The chameleon is a member of the family Chamaeleonidae, notable for its ability to change skin color and for its independently articulated eyes. Species in the genus Chamaeleo and related genera are distributed throughout Africa, southern Europe, and parts of Asia and Australia.

The spelling "kameleon" is occasionally found in English-language texts, especially those that have been translated from Dutch or that deliberately adopt a Dutch orthography for stylistic reasons. In many cases it appears in the titles of cultural works that derive from Dutch sources.

In Dutch media, Kameleon has been used as the title of a television series that focuses on the lives of patients in a Dutch hospital. The show, first broadcast in the early 2000s, follows medical staff and their clients while exploring ethical and emotional aspects of modern healthcare. Another Dutch production, also titled Kameleon, is a reality‑style program where contestants adapt to rapidly changing scenarios.

The name has also appeared in the technology sector. Kameleon Linux was a lightweight Linux distribution designed for older hardware, emphasizing fast performance and a simple desktop environment. The project was active in the early 2010s and attracted users who required an efficient, low‑resource operating system.

Overall, kameleon remains a distinct orthographic form primarily associated with Dutch-language usage, while the term surfaces in various contexts—including biology, media, and software—reflecting the broad cultural resonance of its animal namesake.