Where does “hippopotami” come from?
Hippopotami derives from Latin hippopotamus, from Ancient Greek ἱπποπόταμος, combining ἵππος meaning horse with a root from Proto-Indo-European h₁oh₁ḱu- meaning water.
hippopotami (English): plural of hippopotamus
Ancestry of “hippopotami”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | hippopotamus | A large, semi-aquatic, herbivorous African... |
| 2 | Latin | hippopotamus | a hippopotamus |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | ἱπποπόταμος | hippopotamus |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἵππος | a horse, a mare; cavalry, horsemen |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | íkkʷos | horse |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁éḱwos | stallion, horse |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁oh₁ḱu- | swift |