English
paradise
Paradise comes from Latin paradīsus, from Ancient Greek παράδεισος ‘garden of the Persian nobility’, from Proto-Iranian *paridayjah ‘circular boundary wall’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeyǵʰ- ‘to knead, form’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeyǵʰ-‘to knead, form’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰóyǵʰos‘something formed’reconstructedderivative of *dʰeyǵʰ-
- Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*dʰáyȷ́ʰasreconstructed
- Proto-Iranianprehistoric (reconstructed)*dáyjah‘wall’reconstructed
- Proto-Iranian, derivedprehistoric (reconstructed)*paridayjah‘circular boundary wall’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπαράδεισοςparádeisos‘garden of the Persian nobility’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEparadīsus‘park, orchard’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400paradis
- Old Englishc. 450–1150paradīs
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500paradis
- Englishearliest quotation 1593paradise
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeyǵʰ-‘to knead, form’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰóyǵʰos‘something formed’reconstructedderivative of *dʰeyǵʰ-
- Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*dʰáyȷ́ʰasreconstructed
- Proto-Iranianprehistoric (reconstructed)*dáyjah‘wall’reconstructed
- Proto-Iranian, derivedprehistoric (reconstructed)*paridayjah‘circular boundary wall’reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπαράδεισοςparádeisos‘garden of the Persian nobility’
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEparadīsus‘park, orchard’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400paradis
- Old Englishc. 450–1150paradīs
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500paradis
- Englishearliest quotation 1593paradise
Earliest quotation: 1593, Gabriell Haruey [i.e., Gabriel Harvey]: “[…] come all the daintieſt dainties of this toungue,…”
Linked words
pairs
- paradise and lady both from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeyǵʰ- ‘to knead’
through Proto-Indo-European *dʰeyǵʰ- ‘to knead, form’
figure, fiction, dairy, dough, faint, fictitious, dey, effigy, feign, figment, feint, 26 more
Today it means
noun The place where sanctified souls are believed to live after death.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeyǵʰ- / paradise