Its only when I started to wonder what to write about today’s images that it suddenly occurred to me what an odd word ‘hippodrome’ is. I mean, think about it, do we go to a hippodrome to see hippos?

A bit of rooting around online and I come up with:

“hippodrome (n.) “horse race-course,” 1580s, from French hippodrome, from Latin hippodromos “race course,” from Greek hippodromos “chariot road, race course for chariots,” from hippos “horse” (see equine) + dromos “course” (see dromedary). In modern use, “circus performance place” (mid-19c.), and thus extended to “large theater for stage shows.””(1)

But why not Equidrome? Did the Romans only use a Greek word for race courses?

And then why are hippopotami called hippopotami? They don’t look anything like horses. Back to the online etymological dictionary, where I find:

“hippopotamus (n.) omnivorous ungulate pachydermatous mammal of Africa, 1560s, from Late Latin hippopotamus, from Greek hippopotamus “riverhorse,” an irregular formation from earlier ho hippos potamios “the horse of the river”), from hippos “horse” (see equine) + adjective from potamos “river, rushing water” (see potamo-). Replaced Middle English ypotame (c. 1300), which is from the same source but deformed in Old French. Glossed in Old English as sæhengest.” (2)

So: ‘horse of the river’ eh? I’m not convinced. Personally I think hippopotami look more like very big pigs (or hornless rhinoceroses?). Actually they look more like my music teacher at school.

(1) From: http://www.etymonline.com/
(2) ibid