A hippopotamus is a very large, heavy animal with a big head and thick gray skin that lives near rivers and lakes in Africa. It spends much of its time in water and can be surprisingly fast and dangerous.
From Greek “hippos,” meaning “horse,” and “potamos,” meaning “river,” so it literally means “river horse.” The name came through Latin into English with its original descriptive sense.
Despite looking slow and cute, hippos are among the most dangerous large animals in Africa and can outrun a human over short distances. The name “river horse” shows how the Greeks tried to explain new animals using familiar ones. It’s a reminder that a name can be charming even when the animal is not.
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