Where does “maia” come from?
maia (Romanian) comes from Ottoman Turkish مایه, from Persian مایه, from Middle Persian mʾtk' — essence, substance.
maia (Romanian): leaven; yeast
Ancestry of “maia”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Ottoman Turkish | مایه | origin, basis, fundament; capital, fund; leaven,... |
| 2 | Persian | مایه | stuff, matter, substance, essence; leaven, yeast,... |
| 3 | Middle Persian | mʾtk' | essence, substance |