elk

Etymology 1

From Middle English elk, from Old English eolc, eolh (“elk”), from Proto-Germanic *elhaz, *algiz (“elk”) (compare Low German Elk, German Elch, Danish elg, Norwegian elg, Swedish älg), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁élḱis, *h₁ólḱis (compare Polish łoś, Russian лось (losʹ), Vedic Sanskrit ऋश्य (ṛ́śya, “antelope”), variant of *h₁elh₁én (compare German Elen, Tocharian A yäl, Tocharian B ylem (“gazelle”), Lithuanian élnis (“stag”), Armenian եղնիկ (eġnik, “doe, hind”)), from *h₁el- (“deer”).

noun

1. Any of various large species of deer such as the red deer, moose or wapiti (see usage notes).
   1. Any of the subspecies of the moose (Alces alces, alternatively named Eurasian elk to avoid confusion with the wapiti), that occurs only in Europe and Asia.
   2. (chiefly Europe, Commonwealth) Any moose (Alces alces), the largest member of the deer family.
   3. (Canada, US) common wapiti (Cervus canadensis), the second largest member of the deer family, once thought to be a subspecies of red deer.
   4. (British India) Sambar (Cervus unicolor).
      In a narrow defile […] a male elk, (cervus alces, Lin.) of noble appearance, followed by twenty-two females, passed majestically under their platform, each as large as a common-sized horse. 1813, James Forbes, Oriental Memoirs, page 281

Etymology 2

noun

1. (obsolete) Alternative form of elke (the common swan (Cygnus cygnus, syn. Cygnus ferus))