The word lemure comes from Latin lemur, meaning "shades or spirits of the restless or malignant dead." The D&D usage looks like the incorrect singular of the plural lemures. It's also the origin of the name of the taxon of the unusual primates of Madagascar.
Lemures in the AD&D Monster Manual:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxVc0cDEZ9CT5upBRs9sweI3jLCXtfQ0XpiVLx2VNG4qkJ50-EsgcGmGrwpa7wKLPIhEfIXyK42_hyBDU9Trc1ZGVKtmQImPwTjfpY1KRdhbPeA08CeUI9y2IIx2G41h5MoCL_hsYvIYo/s320/lemures+monster+manual.jpg)