Etymograph

English

dolphin

Dolphin comes from Latin delphīnus ‘a dolphin’, from Ancient Greek δελφύς ‘womb’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelbʰ-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelbʰ-‘womb’reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδελφύςdelphús‘womb’
  3. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδελφίςdelphís
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdelphīnus‘a dolphin’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500delphyn
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1844dolphin

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelbʰ-‘womb’reconstructed
  2. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEδελφύςdelphús‘womb’
  3. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEδελφίςdelphís
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdelphīnus‘a dolphin’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500delphyn
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1844dolphin

Earliest quotation: 1844, The Technical Educator: “At each end of the piers in the water,…”

The story

From Middle English delphyn, from Latin delphīnus, from Ancient Greek δελφίς (delphís), from δελφύς (delphús, “womb”); the modern form in -ol- is probably influenced by the pronunciation of Middle French dauphin.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *gʷelbʰ- ‘womb’

whelp, 10 more

through Ancient Greek δελφύς ‘womb’

delphic, 3 more

through Latin delphīnus ‘a dolphin’

dauphin, delphine, 5 more

Another origin of dolphin

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dewk-‘to draw, pull’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*déwkti‘to pull, to draw’uncertain
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*doukō‘to lead’uncertain
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdūcōas dūcere‘to lead’uncertain
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEducem‘duke, commander’uncertain
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400duc‘duke (nobleman)’uncertain
  7. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form‘duke (nobleman)’uncertain
  8. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘duke (nobleman)’uncertain
  9. Dutchc. 1500–presentdukdalf‘dolphin, post for mooring boats’uncertain
  10. Englishtodaydolphin

Today it means

noun A carnivorous cetacean, typically with a beak-like snout, famed for their intelligence and occasional willingness to approach humans.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷelbʰ- / dolphin

Shirt and support for this word