How did European dragons get the same name as Asian dragons?

Question

If you wanted to make the completely illogical argument they exist, they're clearly 2 different creatures. Was it just a convenience for translators? That's what I'm assuming...

Answer 1

It was a convenience for translators. Even though Asian dragons were known in Myth for a long time, they had their own words for it. When the Europeans came over, they introduced the English word. The most common theory of the why it happened is that someone noticed all the pictures of it and said it kind of looks like a dragon, which archaically meant large snake or serpent.

Answer 2

Interesting. I had the same thought, too.