Where does “salamander” come from?
Salamander comes from Middle English salamandre, from Old French salamandre, from Latin salamandra, from Ancient Greek σαλαμάνδρα, a word of unknown origin referring to a mythical fire-dwelling creature.
salamander (English): A long, slender, chiefly terrestrial amphibian of...
Definitions
- A long, slender, chiefly terrestrial amphibian of...
Ancestry of “salamander”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | salamandre | — |
| 2 | Old French | salamandre | salamander |
| 3 | Latin | salamandra | salamander |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | σαλαμάνδρα | fire salamander |
| 5 | Persian | سمندر | salamander; a mythological fire-dwelling creature... |
| 6 | Persian | سام | fire; flame; swell, swelling |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | ćyaHmás | black |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱyeh₁-mó-s | black, dark |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱeh₃- | darkness, shadow |