Where does “Alexandretta” come from?
Alexandretta (Latin) comes from Latin Alexandria, from Ancient Greek Ἀλεξάνδρεια, from Ancient Greek Ἀλέξανδρος, from Ancient Greek ἀλέξω, from Ancient Greek ἀνδρός, from Ancient Greek ἀνήρ, from Proto-Hellenic *anḗr — man.
Ancestry of “Alexandretta”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | Alexandria | — |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | Ἀλεξάνδρεια | Alexandria |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | Ἀλέξανδρος | Alexander |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | ἀλέξω | to keep off, turn aside; to guard, protect,... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἀνδρός | genitive singular of ἀνήρ; man; of man |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἀνήρ | man; husband; human being, as opposed to a god |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | *anḗr | man |