Elephant
/ˈɛlɪfənt/noun
A very large herbivorous mammal with a trunk, tusks, and thick gray skin.
Did you know?The English word ultimately comes from Greek elephantos/elephas, a term the Greeks used for the animal after contact with the Near East, showing how trade carried not just goods but names across civilizations.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁el-
“A proposed ancient root sometimes connected with the idea of brightness or shining, though the elephant word’s deeper prehistory is uncertain.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἐλέφας (eléphas)
“Elephant; also ivory.”
Latin
Latin
elephantus
“An elephant.”
Old French
Old French
elefant
“Elephant.”
Middle English
English
elefaunt
“Elephant.”
Modern English
English
elephant
“The large mammal known for its trunk and tusks.”
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