English
oliphant
Oliphant comes from Anglo-Norman oliphant ‘ivory, elephant’, and goes back to Ancient Greek ἐλέφας.
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐλέφαςeléphas‘ivory, elephant’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEelephantus‘elephant’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400oliphant‘ivory, elephant’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500olifaunt
- Englishearliest quotation 1613oliphant
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐλέφαςeléphas‘ivory, elephant’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEelephantus‘elephant’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400oliphant‘ivory, elephant’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500olifaunt
- Englishearliest quotation 1613oliphant
Earliest quotation: 1613, Thomas Heywood, The Brazen Age: “She [Diana] hath ſent (to plague vs) a huge…”
Linked words
through Latin elephantus ‘elephant’
Today it means
noun An elephant.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Ancient Greek ἐλέφας / oliphant