hippopotamus
UK[ˌhɪpəˈpɒtəməs]US[ˌhɪpəˈpɑːtəməs]
n
A large African animal with a large head and mouth and thick gray skin, that lives in rivers and lakes.
Morpheme Breakdown
hippo
potamus
hippo
horse
potamus
river
Etymology
The word 'hippopotamus' is a direct borrowing from Latin, which itself adopted it from the Greek 'hippopotamos', a compound of 'hippos' (horse) and 'potamos' (river). This literal "river horse" was the ancient Greeks' descriptive name for the massive, semi-aquatic mammal they encountered in the Nile. While the animal bears little resemblance to a horse, the name likely reflects its size and the fact it was a large, familiar land mammal seen inhabiting rivers. The term has remained remarkably stable from its Greek origins into modern English, preserving this vivid ancient characterization.
Analysis
Structure: hippo (horse) + potamus (river)
- hippo: From Greek 'hippos', meaning 'horse'.
- potamus: From Greek 'potamos', meaning 'river'.
Examples
The hippopotamus submerged itself in the muddy water to stay cool.
We watched a pod of hippopotamuses grazing on the riverbank at dusk.
Despite its bulky appearance, the hippopotamus can run surprisingly fast on land.