Where does “elk” come from?
Elk comes from Old English eolh, from Proto-Germanic elhaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₁el-, a root of uncertain meaning referring to a large deer-like animal.
elk (English): Any of various large species of deer such as the...
Definitions
- Any of various large species of deer such as the...
Ancestry of “elk”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | elk | — |
| 2 | Old English | eolh | elk , moose |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *elh | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | elhaz | elk |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁élḱis | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁el- | greyish or brownish coloration; deer, elk;... |