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ma·hout

(mə-hout)

A person who takes care of, rides, and controls a tamed elephant.

[Hindi mahāvat, mahāut, from Sanskrit mahāmātraḥ, one having great measure, mahout : mahā-, great; see meg- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + mātram, measure (from mimīte, mā-, he measures; see mē-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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