Where does “salamandre” come from?
salamandre (Middle English) comes from Old French salamandre, from Latin salamandra, from Ancient Greek σαλαμάνδρα, from Persian سمندر, from Persian سام, from Proto-Indo-Iranian ćyaHmás, from Proto-Indo-European ḱyeh₁-mó-s, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱeh₃- — darkness, shadow.
Ancestry of “salamandre”, step by step
salamandre traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French salamandre
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | salamandre | salamander |
| 2 | Latin | salamandra | salamander |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | σαλαμάνδρα | fire salamander |
| 4 | Persian | سمندر | salamander; a mythological fire-dwelling creature... |
| 5 | Persian | سام | fire; flame; swell, swelling |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | ćyaHmás | black |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱyeh₁-mó-s | black, dark |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱeh₃- | darkness, shadow |
via Anglo-Norman salamandre
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | salamandre | salamander |