Alces
/ˈæl.siːz/noun
A genus of large deer that includes the moose.
Did you know?Alces is a Latinized scientific name, ultimately tied to classical Greek ἄλκη (alkē), an old word for a kind of large deer or elk, showing how taxonomy preserves ancient animal names like fossils in language.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἄλκη (alkē)
“a large deer or elk-like animal”
Classical Latin
Latin
alces
“an elk or moose-like animal”
Medieval Latin
Latin
Alces
“used in learned zoological writing for the elk”
Modern Scientific Latin
Latin
Alces
“the genus name for the moose”