Where does “слонопотам” come from?
слонопотам (Russian) comes from Russian гиппопота́м, from French hippopotame, from Latin hippopotamus, from Ancient Greek ἱπποπόταμος, from Ancient Greek ἵππος, from Proto-Hellenic íkkʷos, from Proto-Indo-European h₁éḱwos, from Proto-Indo-European h₁oh₁ḱu- — swift.
слонопотам (Russian): Heffalump; clumsy, awkward person
Definitions
- Heffalump; clumsy, awkward person
Ancestry of “слонопотам”, step by step
слонопотам traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Russian гиппопота́м
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russian | гиппопота́м | hippo |
| 2 | French | hippopotame | hippopotamus |
| 3 | Latin | hippopotamus | a hippopotamus |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἱπποπόταμος | hippopotamus |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἵππος | a horse, a mare; cavalry, horsemen |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | íkkʷos | horse |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁éḱwos | stallion, horse |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁oh₁ḱu- | swift |