Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Perseus” come from?

Perseus derives from Ancient Greek Περσεύς, from the root πέρθω meaning to destroy or lay waste, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰerH-.

Ancestry of “Perseus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1LatinPerseus—
2Ancient GreekΠερσεύςPerseus
3Ancient Greekπέρθωto sack, ravage, destroy ; to slay; to get by...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰerdʰ-to cut; cut

Words derived from “Perseus”

  • Persean
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰerdʰ- →