Mahaut
/məˈhaʊt/noun
A keeper or driver of an elephant, especially in South Asia.
Did you know?The ancestor of *mahaut* was Sanskrit *mahāmātra*, a title for a high official; its elephant-specific meaning developed later in South Asian languages.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*meh₁-
“To measure or ascertain extent”
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
mahā-mātra
“Literally “great measure”; also a high official or dignitary”
Medieval Indo-Aryan
Prakrit
mahāmatta
“An official, with the title increasingly associated with elephant keepers”
Medieval Hindi
Hindi
mahāvat
“An elephant driver or keeper”
17th Century
English
mahout
“A keeper or driver of an elephant”
Modern English
English
mahaut
“A variant spelling of *mahout*, an elephant keeper or driver”
Explore more surprising origins