Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “dauphin” come from?

dauphin (French) comes from Old French dalphin, from Latin delphīnus, from Ancient Greek δελφίν, from Ancient Greek δελφύς, from Proto-Indo-European gʷelbʰ- — the womb.

dauphin (French): dolphin; dolphin; the animal used as a charge;...

Definitions

  1. dolphin; dolphin; the animal used as a charge;...

Ancestry of “dauphin”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchdalphin—
2Latindelphīnus—
3Ancient Greekδελφίν—
4Ancient Greekδελφύςthe womb
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʷelbʰ-the womb

Words derived from “dauphin”

  • dauphin
  • dauphiness
  • dauphin
  • dauphin
  • dofen
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʷelbʰ- →