Where does “ช้างน้ำ” come from?

ช้างน้ำ (Thai) comes from Thai น้ำ, from Proto-Tai *C̬.namꟲ — water.

ช้างน้ำ (Thai): hippopotamus; obese person

Definitions

  1. hippopotamus; obese person

Ancestry of “ช้างน้ำ”, step by step

ช้างน้ำ traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Thai น้ำ

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Thaiน้ำwater; any liquid or fluid; body of water, as...
2Proto-Tai*C̬.namꟲwater

via Thai ช้าง

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Thaiช้างelephant; bishop; great
2Proto-Taiɟaːŋᶜelephant
Every word from Proto-Tai *C̬.namꟲ →Every word from Thai น้ำ →
ช้างน้ำ — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer