Where does “Syria” come from?
Syria (Swahili) comes from English Syria, from Middle English Sirie, from Latin Sȳria, from Ancient Greek Συρία, from Ancient Greek Ἀσσυρία, from Akkadian Aššūrāyu, from Akkadian Aššūr — Assur.
Ancestry of “Syria”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Syria | extending from modern-day southeast Turkey to the north, the Euphrates and Arabian Desert to the east, the Sinai Peninsula to the south, and the Mediterranean sea to the west |
| 2 | Middle English | Sirie | — |
| 3 | Latin | Sȳria | Assyria |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | Συρία | Syria |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | Ἀσσυρία | — |
| 6 | Akkadian | Aššūrāyu | — |
| 7 | Akkadian | Aššūr | Assur |