alces
Etymologie:
Diese germanische Bezeichnung des ELCHES ist erstmals bei , De bello gallico 6, 27 belegt:
Sunt item, quae appellantur alces. Harum est consimilis capris figura et varietas pellium, sed magnitudine paulo antecedunt mutilaeque sunt cornibus et crura sine nodis articulisque habent neque quietis causa procumbunt neque, si quo adflictae casu conciderunt, erigere sese aut sublevare possunt. His sunt arbores pro cubilibus: ad eas se applicant atque ita paulum modo reclinatae quietem capiunt. (6, 27)
There are also elks so-called. Their shape and dappled skin are like unto goats, but they are somewhat larger in size and have blunted horns. They have legs without nodes or joints, and they do not lie down to sleep, nor, if any shock has caused them to fall, can they raise or uplift themselves. Trees serve them as couches; they bear against them, and thus, leaning but a little, take their rest.
https://www-loebclassics-com.emedien.ub.uni-muenchen.de/view/caesar-gallic_wars/1917/pb_LCL072.353.xml
Rezente Entsprechung:
Die romanischen Sprachen verfügen über Bezeichnungen des ELCHES, die – in der Regel – auf das von Caesar genannte alces (vgl. Georges 1913, 293) zurückführen; da das Tier jedoch in den romanischsprachigen Gebieten nicht vorkommt (♦), handelt es sich um bildungsssprachliche Ausdrücke.