elephant – English noun declension

English noun forms of elephant

Noun: elephant
Singularelephant
Pluralelephants

Sample Sentences

  • Let's play hide and seek. I'll count. One elephant, two elephant, three elephant...
  • He sent rich gifts of elephant and gold. [1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:]

Etymology

From Middle English elefant, elefaunt, from Old French elefant, elefan, olifant, re-latinized in Middle French as elephant, from Latin elephantus, from Ancient Greek ἐλέφᾱς (eléphās) (gen. ἐλέφαντος (eléphantos)). Believed to be derived from an Afroasiatic form such as Proto-Berber *eḷu (“elephant”) (compare Tamahaq êlu, Tamasheq alu) or Egyptian ꜣbw (“elephant; ivory”). More at ivory. Replaced Middle English olifant (from the aforementioned Old French form, from Vulgar Latin *olifantus), which replaced Old English elpend (“elephant”). See: Middle English Nouns 'elefant', Latin Nouns 'elephantus', Middle English Nouns 'olifant', Old English Nouns 'elpend'.

Verbs referencing "elephant"

Finnish Nouns elefantti.