Where does “orphan” come from?
Orphan comes from Italian orfano, from Ancient Greek ὀρφανός, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃órbʰos meaning bereft or deprived of parents.
orphan (English): A person, especially a minor, both or one of...
Definitions
- A person, especially a minor, both or one of...
Ancestry of “orphan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Late Latin | orphanus | orphan |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | ὀρφανός | left orphan, without parents; childless;... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃órbʰos | orphan; servant, slave, worker |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃erbʰ- | to change allegiance, status, ownership;... |
Words derived from “orphan”