English
hippopotamus
Hippopotamus comes from Latin hippopotamus, from Ancient Greek ἱπποπόταμος ‘river horse’ (ἵππος ‘horse’ + ποταμός ‘river’).
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἱπποπόταμοςhippopótamos
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEhippopotamus
- Englishearliest quotation 1886same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἱπποπόταμοςhippopótamos
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEhippopotamus
- Englishearliest quotation 1886same form
Earliest quotation: 1886, – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard: “These were the first hippopotami that we had ever…”
A compound of ἵππος ‘horse’ + ποταμός ‘river’
Proto-Indo-European *h₁éḱwos ‘horse’
Proto-Hellenic *íkkʷos ‘horse’
Ancient Greek ἵππος ‘horse’
Proto-Indo-European *peth₂- ‘to spread out’
Ancient Greek ποταμός ‘river’
first attested First attested in the 1560s (as stated in the etymology)
The story
First attested in the 1560s.
Linked words
pairs
- hippopotamus and Philip both from Ancient Greek ἵππος ‘horse’
Every English word from Ancient Greek ἱπποπόταμος
Today it means
noun A semi-aquatic, herbivorous, African hoofed mammal of the family Hippopotamidae.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek ἱπποπόταμος / hippopotamus