Elch
/ɛltʃ/noun
An archaic or dialectal form of “elk,” especially associated with German or Scots usage.
Did you know?The ancient Romans recorded the elk as alces and claimed it had no movable joints in its legs, a mistaken belief probably based on secondhand reports.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek and Celtic sphere
Greek/Latin sources
álkē / alces
“Names recorded for the elk or a closely related deer; the ultimate source is uncertain and may involve an older northern European word.”
1st Century BCE
Latin
alces
“Julius Caesar’s term for a large forest animal identified with the elk.”
Old Norse
Old Norse
elgr
“Elk; the source of the standard English form.”
Old High German
Old High German
elaho
“Elk, a related Germanic form.”
Middle High German
Middle High German
elch
“Elk; the form developed toward modern German Elch.”
Modern English dialects
English/Scots
elch
“A rare or archaic variant of elk, chiefly preserved in dialectal or historical usage.”