different between maximus vs elephant

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *magis?mos, from Proto-Indo-European *mé?h?s (“great”).

Alternative forms

• maxumus (Republican spelling)

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?mak.si.mus/, [?mäks??m?s?]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /?mak.si.mus/, [?m?ksimus]
• Note: the only evidence for a long /a/ in this word is the inscriptional MÁX(IMVS) in the acts of the Arval Brethren for 120 C.E. If genuine, this would be an example of the much-debated Lachmann's law.

Adjective

maximus (feminine maxima, neuter maximum, positive magnus); first/second declension

1. Superlative degree of magnus: greatest (in various senses):
   1. (of size) biggest, largest

      Antonyms: minimus, tenuissimus

   2. (of number, value, amount) largest
      1. (of sound) loudest
      2. (law, of property) unencumbered

   3. (of age) oldest, eldest

   4. (of degree) highest, utmost

   5. (of things) most important, chief, leading, critical

   6. (of power or reputation) mightiest, most eminent, senior or distinguished

   7. (with agent nouns) outstanding (denoting excellence in a special activity)
   8. (of mind, spirit) most confident, bravest; most generous

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

Derived terms

• Iuppiter Optimus Maximus

Descendants

References

• “maximus” on page 1196 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (2nd ed., 2012)

Further reading

• maximus in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• maximus in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• maximus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
• Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book?^[3], London: Macmillan and Co.
• maximus in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers

English

Etymology

From Middle English elefant, elefaunt, from Old French elefant, elefan, olifant, re-latinized in Middle French as elephant, from Latin elephantus, from Ancient Greek ?????? (eléph?s) (gen. ????????? (eléphantos)). Believed to be derived from an Afroasiatic form such as Proto-Berber *e?u (“elephant”) (compare Tahaggart Tamahaq êlu, Tamasheq alu) or Egyptian ?bw (“elephant; ivory”). More at ivory. Replaced Middle English olifant (from the aforementioned Old French form, from Vulgar Latin *olifantus), which replaced Old English elpend (“elephant”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??l?f?nt/, /??l?f?nt/

Noun

elephant (countable and uncountable, plural elephants)

1. A mammal of the order Proboscidea, having a trunk, and two large ivory tusks jutting from the upper jaw.
2. (in particular) Any member of the family Elephantidae not also of the genus Mammuthus.
3. (figuratively) Anything huge and ponderous.
4. (paper, printing) Synonym of elephant paper
5. (Britain, childish) used when counting to add length, so that each count takes about one second

   Let's play hide and seek. I'll count. One elephant, two elephant, three elephant...

6. (uncountable, obsolete) Ivory.

   • He sent rich gifts of elephant and gold.

Synonyms

• (animal): Elephas maximus, Loxodonta africana
• (counting term): see Appendix:Words used as placeholders to count seconds

Hyponyms

• (animal): African bush elephant, African forest elephant, Indian elephant, African elephant

Derived terms

Descendants

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• elephant on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Elephant (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• heptenal

Middle French

Noun

elephant m (plural elephans)

1. elephant (animal)

Descendants

• French: éléphant
  • Haitian Creole: elefan
  • ? Romanian: elefant
• ? Irish: eilifint
• ? Norman: êléphant, éléphant