Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Orpheus” come from?

Orpheus (English) comes from Ancient Greek Ὀρφεύς, from Proto-Indo-European h₃órbʰos, from Proto-Indo-European h₃erbʰ- — to change allegiance, status, ownership;...

Ancestry of “Orpheus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient GreekὈρφεύς—
2Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃órbʰosorphan; servant, slave, worker
3Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃erbʰ-to change allegiance, status, ownership;...

Words derived from “Orpheus”

  • Orphism
  • Orphean
  • Orpheus
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃erbʰ- →