Where does “Mesopotamia” come from?
Mesopotamia derives from Ancient Greek Μεσοποταμία, meaning "land between rivers," from μεσο- (meso-, "middle") and ποταμός (potamós, "river"), with the latter tracing to Proto-Indo-European médʰyos.
Mesopotamia (English): The Mandate for Mesopotamia, a League of Nations mandate from 1920 to 1932, entrusted to the United Kingdom, that was the precursor to the independent state of Iraq
Definitions
- The Mandate for Mesopotamia, a League of Nations mandate from 1920 to 1932, entrusted to the United Kingdom, that was the precursor to the independent state of Iraq
Ancestry of “Mesopotamia”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | Mesopotamia | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | Μεσοποταμία | land between the rivers |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | μεσοποτάμιος | between rivers |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | μέσος | middle of, between, amidst; half; of middle... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | σφαῖρα | ball, globe, sphere |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | -ειδής | like, connected to, from the nature of, full of;... |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -ής | adjective suffix |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -ēs | Primarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -ess | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -os | Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;... |