LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinesecond declension

elephantus

elephantus m (genitive elephantī)
Classical[ɛ.ɫɛˈpʰan.tʊs]Ecclesiastical[e.leˈfan.tus]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. masculineAn elephant.
  2. masculineIvory.

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

maximum animal terrae; nāsus eius longissimus est, quō rēs capit.
elephantus -ī m — in Mille Verba, Animālia

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeelephantus
elefantus		elephantī
elefantī
genitiveelephantī
elefantī		elephantōrum
elefantōrum
dativeelephantō
elefantō		elephantīs
elefantīs
accusativeelephantum
elefantum		elephantōs
elefantōs
ablativeelephantō
elefantō		elephantīs
elefantīs
vocativeelephante
elefante		elephantī
elefantī

ĕlĕphantus, i, and ĕlĕphās, antis (rarely ĕlĕphans, antis, Plin. 8, 1, 1, § 1; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 196; of the second form the
I. nom. sing., and of the first the oblique cases are most freq.), m. (fem., Plaut. Stich. 1, 3, 14), = ἐλέφας, an elephant.—Form elephantus, Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 25; 30; id. Stich. 1, 3, 14; Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 23; Cic. N. D. 1, 35; 2, 47 fin.; id. de Sen. 9, 27; Liv. 44, 41; Plin. 6, 19, 22, § 66 et saep. Its tough hide suggests the expression: elephanti corio circumtentus, i. e. thickheaded, stupid, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 80.—Form elephas, Mart. Spect. 17, 1; Luc. 6, 208; 9, 732; acc. elephantem, Sen. Ep. 85, 41; Gr. acc. elephanta, Manil. 5, 706; Mart. Spect. 19, 4; acc. plur. elephantas, Manil. 4, 667; 740.—
II. Transf., like the Gr. ἐλέφας.
A. Form elephantus, ivory, Verg. G. 3, 26; id. A. 3, 464; 6, 896.—
B. Form elephas, the elephantiasis, Lucr. 6, 1114; Seren. Samm. 10.—
C. Form elephantus, a sea-fish, Plin. 9, 5, 4, § 10; 32, 11, 53, § 144; 148.

Origins

  1. Proto-Afroasiatic*leb-
  2. Egyptianꜣbwbor.?
  3. Latinelephantus

Ancient Greek ἐλέφας (eléphas)bor. Latin elephantus Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἐλέφας (eléphas).

Quick answers

What does elephantus mean in Latin?
elephantus, a noun, means “An elephant.; Ivory.”.
What is the genitive of elephantus?
The genitive singular is elephantī. elephantus is masculine, second declension.
How do you pronounce elephantus?
In classical Latin, [ɛ.ɫɛˈpʰan.tʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [e.leˈfan.tus].
Where does elephantus come from?
Proto-Afroasiatic *leb- → Egyptian ꜣbwbor.? → Latin elephantus.