Where does “Manila” come from?
Manila (Italian) comes from Spanish Manila, from Tagalog Maynila, from Tagalog may-, from Tagalog May, from English May, from French mai, from Old French mai, from Latin Māius — mother.
Ancestry of “Manila”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | Manila | manila (fabric) |
| 2 | Tagalog | Maynila | — |
| 3 | Tagalog | may- | prefix denoting existence or possession of something |
| 4 | Tagalog | May | May |
| 5 | English | May | The fifth month of the Gregorian calendar, following April and preceding June |
| 6 | French | mai | May |
| 7 | Old French | mai | — |
| 8 | Latin | Māius | “month”}} of May |
| 9 | Latin | Maia | nominative feminine singular of Maius; nominative... |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | μαῖα | midwife; foster mother, nurse; good mother, dame |
| 11 | Ancient Greek | μήτηρ | mother; source or origin |
| 12 | Proto-Hellenic | mā́tēr | mother |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | méh₂tēr | mother |