# Cat is to feline as dog is to canine as elephant is to ???. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 2, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-is-to-feline-as-dog-is-to-canine-as-elephant-is-to/302151 "2005-05-02T23:30:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-is-to-feline-as-dog-is-to-canine-as-elephant-is-to/302151/1 "2005-05-02T23:30:27Z")
I think the question is well summarised in the topic heading. cat = feline dog = canine cow = bovine horse = equine elephant = ??? What is “???”? I won’t bother with telling you my reasons for asking, call it an idle curiosity. Your answers will be greatly appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gut)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-is-to-feline-as-dog-is-to-canine-as-elephant-is-to/302151/2 "2005-05-02T23:32:26Z")
pachyderm. At least according to Yosemite Sam. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-is-to-feline-as-dog-is-to-canine-as-elephant-is-to/302151/3 "2005-05-02T23:32:59Z")
I’ve certainly seen the word \*elephantine \* used. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-is-to-feline-as-dog-is-to-canine-as-elephant-is-to/302151/4 "2005-05-02T23:34:31Z")
“Elephantine” is used here: [http://www.phrases.org.uk/animal-adjectives.html](http://www.phrases.org.uk/animal-adjectives.html) ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-is-to-feline-as-dog-is-to-canine-as-elephant-is-to/302151/5 "2005-05-02T23:35:09Z")
loxodontine ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-is-to-feline-as-dog-is-to-canine-as-elephant-is-to/302151/6 "2005-05-02T23:38:44Z")
Second vote for pachyderm! ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-is-to-feline-as-dog-is-to-canine-as-elephant-is-to/302151/7 "2005-05-02T23:40:06Z")
[-ine adjectives and animals](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=301830) ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-is-to-feline-as-dog-is-to-canine-as-elephant-is-to/302151/8 "2005-05-02T23:54:49Z")
> [@Little Bird](#): > > Second vote for pachyderm! \*Pachyderm \* is a noun though. If anything it would be the adjectival form _pachydermatous_. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-is-to-feline-as-dog-is-to-canine-as-elephant-is-to/302151/9 "2005-05-03T00:16:57Z")
Elephantine or Proboscidean. Either works though the latter is more strictly what you want since elephantine is also simply a synonym for ‘large’. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-is-to-feline-as-dog-is-to-canine-as-elephant-is-to/302151/10 "2005-05-03T00:19:51Z")
Let’s see now. Cats are _felis_ and dogs are _canis_. The -ine suffix denotes “of” or “related to” so “feline” and “canine” would mean “of felis” or “of canis” The Africal elephant is _Loxodonta_ and would be “loxodontine” and the Asian elephant is _Elephas_ and would be “elephine.” However both are of the family _Elephantidae_ so could be “elephantine.” ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-is-to-feline-as-dog-is-to-canine-as-elephant-is-to/302151/11 "2005-05-03T01:30:46Z")
> [@mittu](#): > > I think the question is well summarised in the topic heading. > > cat = feline > dog = canine > cow = bovine > horse = equine > elephant = ??? > > What is “???”? I won’t bother with telling you my reasons for asking, call it an idle curiosity. Your answers will be greatly appreciated. Then is an ass, asinine? ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-is-to-feline-as-dog-is-to-canine-as-elephant-is-to/302151/12 "2005-05-03T02:18:23Z")
Aren’t Rhinoceroses also pachyderms? ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-is-to-feline-as-dog-is-to-canine-as-elephant-is-to/302151/13 "2005-05-03T03:05:15Z")
> [@bizzwire](#): > > Aren’t Rhinoceroses also pachyderms? “Pachyderm” is not an official classification (being polyphyletic - that is, being little more than a hodge-podge of not-terribly-related organisms). Rhinos, for example, are more closely related to horses than to elephants. However, having said that, yes, rhinos, elephants, and hippos are all informally called “pachyderms” (because of their thick skin). ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-is-to-feline-as-dog-is-to-canine-as-elephant-is-to/302151/14 "2005-05-03T12:17:43Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > Then is an ass, asinine? Yes, it is.