Where does “elephantfish” come from?

elephantfish (English) comes from English elephant, from English -esque, from French -esque, from Italian -esco, from Vulgar Latin -iscus, from Latin -ensis, from Latin arvum, from Latin colō — to turn.

elephantfish (English): A fish of the family Mormyridae, noted for its...

Definitions

  1. A fish of the family Mormyridae, noted for its...

Ancestry of “elephantfish”, step by step

elephantfish traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English elephant

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishelephantA mammal of the order Proboscidea, having a...
2English-esqueIn the style or manner of; Resembling
3French-esqueesque
4Italian-escoForms adjectives that indicate relationship,...
5Vulgar Latin-iscus-ish
6Latin-ensisOf or from
7Latinarvumfield; farm land
8Latincolōto cultivate the land, till, tend, take care of a field or garden
9Latinquelō
10Proto-Italickʷelōto inhabit
11Proto-Indo-Europeankʷéleti
12Proto-Indo-Europeankʷel-to turn

via English Fish

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishFishThe constellation and zodiacal sign Pisces
2Old Englishfiscianto fish
3Proto-West Germanicfiskōnto fish, to catch fish
4Proto-Germanicfiskōnąto fish, to catch fish
5Proto-Germanic-ōnąCreates denominative verbs from nouns; Creates...
6Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
7Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-
9Chichewaiyehe, she
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷel-