"large South African antelope," 1786, from Dutch eland "elk," from a Baltic source akin to Lithuanian elnias "deer," from PIE *el- "red, brown" (see elk), cognate with first element in Greek Elaphebolion, name of the ninth month of the Attic year (corresponding to late March-early April), literally "deer-hunting (month)." Borrowed earlier as ellan (1610s, via French), ellend, from the German form of the word.