Where does “Amazonas” come from?
Amazonas (Portuguese) comes from Spanish Amazonas, from Spanish amazona, from Latin amazon, from Ancient Greek Ἀμαζών, from Ancient Greek ἀ-, from Proto-Hellenic hə-, from Proto-Indo-European sm̥-, from Proto-Indo-European sem- — together, one.
Ancestry of “Amazonas”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | Amazonas | — |
| 2 | Spanish | amazona | horsewoman; amazon |
| 3 | Latin | amazon | an Amazon |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | Ἀμαζών | Amazons, a nation of female warriors from western... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ἀ- | The alpha privativum, used to make words that... |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | hə- | same; together |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sm̥- | one; with, together |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |