oliphant (English)
Where does "oliphant" come from?
The English noun 'oliphant' traces its lineage through Middle English 'olifaunt'[1]. This form developed from Anglo-Norman and Old French 'oliphant', which carried meanings of 'ivory', 'elephant', and 'musical horn of ivory'[1]. The Old French and Anglo-Norman terms derived from Latin 'elephantus'[1], meaning 'elephant'[1]. Latin in turn borrowed its form from Ancient Greek 'ἐλέφας', meaning 'ivory' and 'elephant'[1][2].
Open questions
- The Ancient Greek term 'ἐλέφας' is likely borrowed from Egyptian, and the Egyptian word may ultimately derive from Proto-Afroasiatic. [3] [4]
Full etymology tree
- oliphant (English), 'An elephant.'
- inherited olifaunt (Middle English)
- inherited oliphant (Old French), 'alternative form of olifan'
- inherited elephantus (Latin), 'An elephant.'
- inherited ἐλέφας (eléphas) (Ancient Greek), 'elephant'
- borrowed ꜣbw (ꜣbw) (Egyptian), 'elephant'
- inherited *leb- (Proto-Afroasiatic)
- borrowed ꜣbw (ꜣbw) (Egyptian), 'elephant'
- inherited ἐλέφας (eléphas) (Ancient Greek), 'elephant'
- inherited elephantus (Latin), 'An elephant.'
- inherited oliphant (Old French), 'alternative form of olifan'
- inherited olifaunt (Middle English)
Ancestors
- oliphant (Old French)
- elephantus (Latin)
- ἐλέφας (Ancient Greek)
Sources
- oliphant (English) - Wiktionary
- elephantus (Latin) - Wiktionary
- ἐλέφας (eléphas) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
- ꜣbw (ꜣbw) (Egyptian) - Wiktionary
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris