Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “irene” come from?

Irene comes from French Irène, derived from Ancient Greek εἰρήνη (eirḗnē, "peace"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European werh₁-.

Ancestry of “irene”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1FrenchIrène—
2Ancient GreekΕἰρήνηpeace
3Ancient Greekεἰρήνηpeace
4Ancient GreekεἴρωI tie, join, fasten, string together; I insert;...
5Proto-Hellenicwéřřōto say, to tell
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwéryetito be saying
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwerh₁-to speak, say

Words derived from “irene”

  • Irene
  • Irene
Every word from Proto-Indo-European werh₁- →