English
Transsylvania
Transsylvania comes from Latin Trānssilvānia, from silvānus ‘forest’, and ultimately from silva ‘wood’.
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsilva‘wood’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsilvānus‘forest’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CETrānssilvāniaas Trānssylvānia
- Englishearliest quotation 1781Transsylvania
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsilva‘wood’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEsilvānus‘forest’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CETrānssilvāniaas Trānssylvānia
- Englishearliest quotation 1781Transsylvania
Earliest quotation: 1781, R. E. Raspe, A Critical Essay on Oil-Painting: “[…] through Italy, Hungary and Tranſſylvania.”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *sel- ‘jump, spring’
result, sale, salmon, sally, salon, exile, insult, resilient, salle, salient, sill, somersault, salacious, slink, seel, selly, 18 more
through Latin silva ‘wood’
Today it means
name —
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Latin silva / Transsylvania