Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “piranha” come from?

piranha (English) comes from Portuguese piranha, from Old Tupi pirá, from Proto-Tupi-Guarani *pira.

piranha (English): Any of the carnivorous freshwater fish living in...

Definitions

  1. Any of the carnivorous freshwater fish living in...

Ancestry of “piranha”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Portuguesepiranhapiranha; slut
2Old Tupipiráfish
3Proto-Tupi-Guarani*pira—

Words derived from “piranha”

  • 比拉魚
  • pirana
  • piranha
Every word from Proto-Tupi-Guarani *pira →