elephantus

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ɛ.ɫɛˈpʰan.tʊs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [e.leˈfan.tus]^[1]

Forms

elephantus m (genitive elephantī); second declension^[1] Also elefantus and elephās (elephāns), genitive elephantis, and Manilius and Martial have the Greek accusative elephanta.^[2][3]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐλέφας (eléphas, “elephant; ivory”) (genitive ⟨eléphantos⟩), of unclear further origin.^[2][1][4] Etymonline thinks the Greek word is probably from a non-Indo-European language, likely through Phoenician.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is Ennius, whom he dates 204–169 BC, and the OLD's first citations for the animal are from Plautus.^[4][2]

Semantic evolution

It was the elephant, and in poetry, as in Virgil, ivory.^[2] Lucretius used elephās of the disease elephantiasis, which arises by the Nile, and Pliny the Elder used it for a large kind of lobster and for an unidentified sea creature.^[2]

Medieval Latin used it for ivory.^[6] Old High German borrowed it as helfant.^[4] English elephant came through Old French olifant about 1300 and was respelled on the Latin model after 1550.^[5]

Timeline

• 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it.^[4]
• 96–55 BC – Lucretius uses it of a disease.^[2][4]
• 70–19 BC – Virgil uses it of ivory.^[2][4]
• c. 1300 – English olyfaunt is recorded.^[5]

Meanings

Noun

1. An elephant.^[2]
2. (poetic) Ivory.^[2][6]
3. (medicine) Elephantiasis.^[2]
4. A large kind of lobster; a sea creature.^[2]

Related words

• ebur
• English elephant

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ a b c d e f Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
6. ^ a b Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill