The exact derivation is uncertain.

• Ostensibly from a Proto-Germanic *ulbanduz.
• Usually connected to Ancient Greek ἐλέφας (eléphas) (genitive ἐλέφαντος (eléphantos)) or derivatives thereof in Vulgar Latin. Thus, according to Saskia Pronk-Tiethoff, from a Vulgar Latin variant of elephās or elephantus, which is clearly derived from Ancient Greek.
• Lehmann does not dispute the Latin and Greek origin, but assumes that the word was borrowed already into Proto-Germanic in the form of Proto-Germanic *elpanduz (“elephant, camel”), whence also Old English elpend (an interpretation shared by Köbler).
• Lehmann also notes some variant theories for the ultimate origin of the putative Proto-Germanic term. Among them is the idea that it could be inherited from a Proto-Indo-European *l̥bʰont-, making the term a cognate through inheritance of the Ancient Greek word, and the notion that it may be derived from a language related to Hittite (which has (hu(wa)lpant-, “humpback”)) or Luwian, borrowed following Gothic contact with Asia Minor during the third/fourth centuries CE. The latter, Anatolian theory has since been further elaborated by Jaan Puhvel (see references below).

Cognate with Old Norse úlfaldi, Old English olfend, olfenda, Old High German olbento, Old Saxon olbundeo.

• IPA^(key): /ˈul.ban.dus/

𐌿𐌻𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌿𐍃 • (ulbandus) ?

2. camel (animal)
   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Luke (Codex Argenteus) 18.25:

     𐍂𐌰𐌸𐌹𐌶𐍉 𐌰𐌻𐌻𐌹𐍃 𐌹𐍃𐍄 𐌿𐌻𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌿 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐍉 𐌽𐌴𐌸𐌻𐍉𐍃 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐌸𐌰𐌿 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌾𐌰 𐌲𐌿𐌳𐌹𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌽.

     raþizō allis ist ulbandau þairh þairkō nēþlōs þairhleiþan þau gabigamma in þiudangardja gudis galeiþan.

     For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (KJV).

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Mark (Codex Argenteus) 1.6:

     𐍅𐌰𐍃𐌿𐌸~𐌸𐌰𐌽 𐌹𐍉𐌷𐌰𐌽𐌽𐌴𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐍅𐌰𐍃𐌹𐌸𐍃 𐍄𐌰𐌲𐌻𐌰𐌼 𐌿𐌻𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌿𐍃 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌰 𐍆𐌹𐌻𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰 𐌱𐌹 𐌷𐌿𐍀 𐍃𐌴𐌹𐌽𐌰𐌽𐌰 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌼𐌰𐍄𐌹𐌳𐌰 𐌸𐍂𐌰𐌼𐍃𐍄𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 𐌾𐌰𐌷 𐌼𐌹𐌻𐌹𐌸 𐌷𐌰𐌹𐌸𐌹𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌺.

     wasuþ~þan iōhannēs gawasiþs taglam ulbandaus jah gairda filleina bi hup seinana jah matida þramsteins jah miliþ haiþiwisk.

     And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; (KJV).

   • 4th Century, Wulfila (tr.), Gothic Bible: Gospel of Mark (Codex Argenteus) 10.25:

     𐌰𐌶𐌹𐍄𐌹𐌶𐍉 𐌹𐍃𐍄 𐌿𐌻𐌱𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌿 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌷 𐌸𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌺𐍉 𐌽𐌴𐌸𐌻𐍉𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌽, 𐌸𐌰𐌿 𐌲𐌰𐌱𐌹𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌼𐌰 𐌹𐌽 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌳𐌰𐌽𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌾𐌰 𐌲𐌿𐌳𐌹𐍃 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌴𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌽.

     azitizō ist ulbandau þairh þairkō nēþlōs galeiþan, þau gabigamma in þiudangardja gudis galeiþan.

     It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (KJV).

• 𐌰𐌿𐌷𐍃𐌰 (auhsa, “ox”)
• 𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍄𐍃 (gaits, “goat”)
• 𐌻𐌰𐌼𐌱 (lamb, “sheep”)
• 𐍃𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌽 (swein, “pig”)

• → Proto-Slavic: *velьb(l)ǫdъ (see there for further descendants)

• Lehmann, Winfred P. (1986) “U20. *ulbandus”, in A Gothic Etymological Dictionary, based on the 3rd ed. of Feist’s dictionary, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 375
• Puhvel, Jaan, 'On the origin of Gothic ulbandus 'camel'', Linguistica 33.1 (1993) pp. 187-190.
• Pronk-Tiethoff, Saskia, The Germanic loanwords in Proto-Slavic (Amsterdam/New York 2013) p. 147

• Streitberg, Wilhelm (1910). Die gotische Bibel. Zweiter Teil: Gotisch-griechisch-deutsches Wörterbuch. Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, p. 156