Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Decameron” come from?

Decameron comes from Italian Decameron, derived from Ancient Greek δέκᾰ meaning "ten," referring to the work's ten days of storytelling.

Ancestry of “Decameron”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1ItalianDecameron—
2Ancient GreekἩμέρα—
3Ancient Greekἦμαρday; by day; midday
4Proto-Hellenicā́mər—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eh₃mr̥heat
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eh₃-to be hot; to burn

Words derived from “Decameron”

  • Decameronian
  • Decameronic
  • Decameronesque
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eh₃- →