Hippodrome travelled through Latin and French from a Greek horse-racing word. Hippos supplies the horse, while dromos names a course for running or racing. The modern-looking venue name carries an ancient sporting purpose.
This view explains the components. They are pieces of one construction, not consecutive borrowing stages.
Sources
- Merriam-Webster · hippodrome
Formation of the word.
- Merriam-Webster · hippopotamus
Meaning and history of this component.