Where does “salamandră” come from?
salamandră (Romanian) comes from French salamandre, 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 — darkness, shadow.
salamandră (Romanian): salamander
Ancestry of “salamandră”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | salamandre | salamander |
| 2 | Old French | salamandre | salamander |
| 3 | Latin | salamandra | salamander |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | σαλαμάνδρα | fire salamander |
| 5 | Persian | سمندر | salamander; a mythological fire-dwelling creature... |
| 6 | Persian | سام | fire; flame; swell, swelling |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | ćyaHmás | black |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱyeh₁-mó-s | black, dark |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱeh₃- | darkness, shadow |