Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Parthenos” come from?

Parthenos (English) comes from Ancient Greek παρθένος, from Proto-Indo-European pstḗn, from Proto-Indo-European ph₂ǵ-sth₂-ḗn, from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- — to stand.

Ancestry of “Parthenos”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekπαρθένοςmaidenly; chaste; young, unmarried woman; maiden
2Proto-Indo-Europeanpstḗnbreast, teat
3Proto-Indo-Europeanph₂ǵ-sth₂-ḗn—
4Proto-Indo-Europeansteh₂-to stand
Every word from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- →