Where does “madonna” come from?
madonna (Italian) comes from Italian ma, from Latin magis, from Dutch magisch, from Dutch magie, from French magie, from Middle French magie, from Latin magīa, from Ancient Greek μαγεία — to be able.
madonna (Italian): Honorific title used to address women
Definitions
- Honorific title used to address women
Ancestry of “madonna”, step by step
madonna traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Italian ma
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | ma | but; Abbreviation of mamma; Indicates emotion or... |
| 2 | Latin | magis | more; more greatly; better |
| 3 | Dutch | magisch | magical, controlled or determined by supernatural... |
| 4 | Dutch | magie | magic, sorcery occult woo, black or white magic, etc.; hence supernatural occurrences or phenonomena |
| 5 | French | magie | magic; A magical, surprising, fascinating feat;... |
| 6 | Middle French | magie | — |
| 7 | Latin | magīa | magic, sorcery |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | μαγεία | theology of the Magians |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | Μάγος | magician, and derogatorily sorcerer, trickster,... |
| 10 | Old Persian | 𐎶𐎦𐏁 | priest |
| 11 | Proto-Iranian | magúš | — |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | magʰúš | — |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | megʰ-ú-s | — |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | megʰ- | to be able |
via Italian donna
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | donna | woman; lady; wife |
| 2 | Late Latin | domna | lady, mistress |
| 3 | Latin | domina | lady or mistress of the house |
| 4 | Latin | Dominus | the Lord; Lord; The Lord |
| 5 | Latin | domus | house, home; any building or abode; native place,... |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | domos | house, home |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dṓm | home; house |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dem- | to build; to arrange, to put together |
via Latin mea domina
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | mea domina | my lady |