Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Maya” come from?

Maya comes from Spanish mayar, which derives from Yucatec Maya maya', a term of unknown original meaning.

Maya (English): A member or descendant of various peoples

Definitions

  1. A member or descendant of various peoples

Ancestry of “Maya”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishMaia—
2LatinMaianominative feminine singular of Maius; nominative...
3Ancient Greekμαῖαmidwife; foster mother, nurse; good mother, dame
4Ancient Greekμήτηρmother; source or origin
5Proto-Hellenicmā́tērmother
6Proto-Indo-Europeanméh₂tērmother

Words derived from “Maya”

  • Mayan
  • Mya
  • Myah
Every word from Proto-Indo-European méh₂tēr →