Elephantiasis
/ˌɛlɪfənˈtaɪəsɪs/noun
A condition involving extreme thickening and enlargement of the skin or limbs, commonly associated with lymphatic filariasis.
Did you know?Ancient Greek physicians used elephantiasis for a severe skin disorder whose rough, thickened appearance reminded them of an elephant’s hide, long before modern knowledge of parasitic worms.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἐλεφαντίασις (elephantíasis)
“A disease resembling an elephant, especially through thickened or enlarged skin”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἐλέφας (eléphas)
“Elephant; also ivory”
Late Antiquity
Latin
elephantiasis
“A severe skin disease characterized by elephant-like thickening”
Middle English
English
elephancy
“Leprosy or a similar disease producing thickened skin”
17th–18th Century
Medical English
elephantiasis
“A medical term for elephant-like enlargement or thickening of body tissues”
Modern English
English
elephantiasis
“Marked enlargement and thickening of skin or limbs, often caused by lymphatic obstruction”
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