The genus name for moose in scientific taxonomy; also the Latin plural of alce, referring to moose or elk.
From Latin 'alces,' itself derived from Scandinavian or Germanic languages where moose naturally inhabit. The term entered classical Latin through trade and contact with northern peoples.
Moose are the largest living deer species—they can weigh as much as a car and stand as tall as a basketball hoop! The fact that Romans imported this word from Scandinavian languages shows how geography determined what animals Europeans even knew existed.
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