𐌿𐌻𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐍃

Highly uncertain. Traditionally connected to Ancient Greek ἐλέφας (eléphas) (genitive ἐλέφαντος (eléphantos)) or derivatives thereof in Vulgar Latin. Thus, according to Saskia Pronk-Tiethoff, from a Vulgar Latin variant of elephās or elephantus, which is clearly derived from Ancient Greek. Lehmann however suggests an inheritance from Proto-Germanic *elpanduz (“elephant, camel”) (an interpretation shared by Köbler), noting some variant theories for the ultimate origin of that term. Among them is the idea (dismissed by Lehmann) that it could be inherited from a Proto-Indo-European *l̥bʰont-, making the term a cognate through inheritance of the Ancient Greek word. Lehmann also mentions the theory that it may be derived from a language related to Hittite (which has [script needed] (hu(wa)lpant-, “humpback”)) or Luwian, borrowed following Gothic contact with Asia Minor during the third/fourth centuries CE. This Anatolian theory has since been further elaborated by Jaan Puhvel (see references below).

Cognate with Old Norse úlfaldi, Old English olfend, olfenda, Old High German olbento, Old Saxon olbundeo.

• IPA^(key): /ˈulβandus/

𐌿𐌻𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐍃 • (ulbandus) m

1. camel
   • Gothic Bible, Codex Argenteus, Matthew 6.28-29:

     𐍂𐌰𐌸𐌹𐌶𐍉 𐌰𐌻𐌻𐌹𐍃 𐌹𐍃𐍄 𐌿𐌻𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌿 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐍉 𐌽𐌴𐌸𐌻𐍉𐍃 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐌸𐌰𐌿 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌾𐌰 𐌲𐌿𐌳𐌹𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌽.

     raþizō allis ist ulbandau þairh þairkō nēþlōs þairhleiþan þau gabigamma in þiudangardja gudis galeiþan.

     For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (KJV)

• → Slavic: *velьb(l)ǫdъ
  • East Slavic:
    • Old East Slavic: вельбудъ (velĭbudŭ), Old East Slavic: вельблудъ (velĭbludŭ)
      • Belarusian: вярблю́д (vjarbljúd)
      • Russian: верблю́д (verbljúd)
      • Ukrainian: верблю́д (verbljúd)
  • South Slavic:
    • Old Church Slavonic: вельбѫдъ (velĭbǫdŭ)
    • ⇒ Old Church Slavonic: вельбѫждь (velĭbǫždĭ)
      • Bulgarian: Велбъжд (Velbǎžd)
    • Slovene: velblod
  • West Slavic:
    • Czech: velbloud
    • Polish: wielbłąd
    • Upper Sorbian: wjelbɫud

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986), “U20. *ulbandus”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 375
• Puhvel, Jaan, 'On the origin of Gothic ulbandus 'camel'', Linguistica 33.1 (1993) pp. 187-190.
• Pronk-Tiethoff, Saskia, The Germanic loanwords in Proto-Slavic (Amsterdam/New York 2013) p. 147