elephant

Where does the word "elephant" come from? It comes from Greek elephas, passing through Latin and Old French before entering English (1300s).

Elephant’s story begins in Greek: elephas meant “ivory, elephant.” Homer used 'elephas' only for ivory, which Greeks knew before the animal. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Latin as elephantus. Carried into Latin for the large tusked animal. From there it passed into Old French as elephant by medieval. Carried into French for the same animal. It reached English by 1300s as elephant. Settled as the English word for the large tusked mammal. Today, elephant means a very large mammal with tusks and a trunk, native to Africa and Asia.

1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient elephas "ivory, elephant", Homer used 'elephas' only for ivory, which Greeks knew before the animal.
2. Stage 2 · Latin · ancient elephantus "the large tusked animal", carried into Latin for the large tusked animal.
3. Stage 3 · Old French · medieval elephant "the large tusked animal", carried into French for the same animal.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1300s elephant "a large tusked mammal", settled as the English word for the large tusked mammal.