Rhinoceros preserves a Greek compound about a nose and a horn. Latin and French forms lie along the route into English. The name focuses on one conspicuous feature rather than the animal’s size or skin.
This view explains the components. They are pieces of one construction, not consecutive borrowing stages.
Sources
- Merriam-Webster · rhinoceros
Formation of the word.
- Merriam-Webster · rhin-
Meaning and history of this component.