Where does “Madonna” come from?
Madonna comes from Italian madonna, from Italian donna and Latin magis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dṓm meaning house or household.
Madonna (English): mother of Jesus, especially in Catholic contexts
Definitions
- mother of Jesus, especially in Catholic contexts
Ancestry of “Madonna”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | madonna | Honorific title used to address women |
| 2 | Italian | ma | but; Abbreviation of mamma; Indicates emotion or... |
| 3 | Latin | magis | more; more greatly; better |
| 4 | Dutch | magisch | magical, controlled or determined by supernatural... |
| 5 | Dutch | magie | magic, sorcery occult woo, black or white magic, etc.; hence supernatural occurrences or phenonomena |
| 6 | French | magie | magic; A magical, surprising, fascinating feat;... |
| 7 | Middle French | magie | — |
| 8 | Latin | magīa | magic, sorcery |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | μαγεία | theology of the Magians |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | Μάγος | magician, and derogatorily sorcerer, trickster,... |
| 11 | Old Persian | 𐎶𐎦𐏁 | priest |
| 12 | Proto-Iranian | magúš | — |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | magʰúš | — |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | megʰ-ú-s | — |
| 15 | Proto-Indo-European | megʰ- | to be able |