Where does “squalo elefante” come from?

squalo elefante (Italian) comes from Italian elefante, from Latin elephās, from Ancient Greek ἐλέφας, from Egyptian ꜣbw — cessation; elephant; elephant tusk.

squalo elefante (Italian): basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus)

Definitions

  1. basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus)

Ancestry of “squalo elefante”, step by step

squalo elefante traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Italian elefante

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italianelefanteelephant
2Latinelephāselephant
3Ancient Greekἐλέφαςivory; elephant
4Egyptianꜣbwcessation; elephant; elephant tusk

via Italian squalo

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italiansqualoshark
2Latinsqualusa kind of sea fish, thought to be a shark;...
3Proto-Indo-European(s)kʷáloslarge fish; sheatfish
Every word from Egyptian ꜣbw →Every word from Ancient Greek ἐλέφας →Every word from Latin elephās →