Where does “Amu Darya” come from?
Amu Darya (English) comes from Persian دریا, from Middle Persian dlydʾp̄, from Old Persian 𐎭𐎼𐎹, from Proto-Iranian jráyah, from Proto-Indo-Iranian ȷ́ráyas — expanse, vastness; ocean.
Ancestry of “Amu Darya”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Persian | دریا | sea; ocean; river |
| 2 | Middle Persian | dlydʾp̄ | sea |
| 3 | Old Persian | 𐎭𐎼𐎹 | sea |
| 4 | Proto-Iranian | jráyah | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | ȷ́ráyas | expanse, vastness; ocean |