Where does “lilja” come from?
lilja (Finnish) comes from Old Swedish lilia, from Old Norse lilja, from Latin līlium, from Ancient Greek λείριον, from Fayyumic Coptic ϩⲗⲏⲣⲓ, from Demotic ḥrry, from Egyptian ḥrrt — flower, blossom.
Ancestry of “lilja”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Swedish | lilia | — |
| 2 | Old Norse | lilja | lily |
| 3 | Latin | līlium | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | λείριον | Madonna lily; paperwhite; autumn narcissus |
| 5 | Fayyumic Coptic | ϩⲗⲏⲣⲓ | — |
| 6 | Demotic | ḥrry | flower |
| 7 | Egyptian | ḥrrt | flower, blossom |