THE INDO-EUROPEAN NAMES FOR “WORLD”
The Indo-European names for “world”
The world is the place illuminated by the sun: it is what we see. The following names for “world” arise from a root meaning “bright, shining, beautiful, the sun”.
`Ālam (Persian). Base –l:
Akkadian
Ilu
God
Akkadian
ellu
shining
Assyrian
élālu, hālu
to shine
Hebrew
hālal
to shine; helel morning star
Arabic
halla
id.
Persian
`ālam
the world, cf. elfydd, above
Arabic
allāq
to light up
Albanian
llap
(< Semit. via Turkish and with change k > p) to shine
Arabic
halla
to shine
Arabic
Allah
God
Arabic
a’ali
powerful (change of category)
Basque
al
power
Ārkisosi (Tokharian). Base ark- shining:
Hindi
ark
sun
Hindi
arkši
flamme
Tokharian A
ārki
white
Georgian
arki
birch
Berber
urki
birch
arcat`
silver
Tokharian
ārkisosi
world
Dinya (Kurdish: Sorani). Base d-n:
Sanskrit
dinam
day
Lettish
diena
day
Latin
Diana
goddess of the moon and of hunting
Romanian
Zana
Diana; dzîna witch
Kurdish: Sorani
dinya
world
Russian
den
day, Polish dzien’
Serbocroatian
dān
day, daylight
Domhan (Gaelic Ireland). Base d-v:
Breton
deviñ
to burn
Sanskrit
dhavalā
white, to shine
Sanskrit
Dyava
personification of the sky
Czech
dive
marvel, miracle
Polish
dziw
marvel
Welsh
Duw
god
Gaelic Ireland
domhan
world
Elfydd (Welsh). See Allah.
Kósmos (Greek). Base k-s to shine (see also Kassiopè):
Aramaic
kaysa
to shine
Aramaic
kasu
glitter
Khinalug
xaš
moon
Greek
Kassandra
the most beautiful daughter of Priam
French (dialectal)
cassanèl
pretty
French (dialectal)
acassà
pretty
Kurdish
kasīl
beautiful
Persian: Sivand
xās
beautiful
Kurdish: Sorani
xoš
beautiful, good
Greek
kósmos
ornament, world
Locus (Roman), borrowing, see Lokas.
Lokas (Sanskrit). Rot l-k:
Greek
leukos
shining, clear
Latin (borrowed from Greek)
lux
light
Sanskrit
lokas
world; Thai (from Skr.) lok
Latin(borrowing)
locus
world
Italian
lucore, lucciare
splendor
Lume (Romanian). Base l-m:
Arabic
lāmi
gleaming
Romanian
lume
light, world
French
lumière
light
Gaelic Ireland
laom
lightning
Gaelic Ireland
laomtha
shining, splendid
English
leam
glitter
Mir (Bulgarian, Russian). Base m-r:
Hebrew
mer
to shine
Bulgarian
mir
monde
Guez
amir
day
Old Persian
amiran
genius of light
Persian
mihr
sun
Dravidian
miru
glittering
Canarese
mirugu
to shine
Greek
amarygēs
shining
Basque
margo
shining
German
morgen
morning
Lithuanian
mirgu
to shine
Monde (French), mondo (Italien), mundo (Spanish, Portuguese). Base m-nd, m-nt shining, pure, beautiful:
German
mond
moon
French
monde
world
Italian
mondo
Italian mondo world, pure
Spanish
mundo
world
Portuguese
mundo
Portuguese mundo world, pure
Etruscan
Munthu
goddess of ornament
Romanian
măndru
superb
Romanian
pămănt
world (formed with the Slavic
particle pa, and not from Latin pavimentum, the world is not made of paving stones)
Mondo (Italian), see monde.
Mundo (Portuguese, Spanish), see monde.
Munthu (Etruscan). Goddess of ornament. See monde.
Pămănt (Romanian), see monde.
Pasaulis (Lithuanian), see next word.
Saoghal, Saol (Gaelic Ireland). From a base s-l clear, shining:
Georgian
zeli
clear
Sumerian
zalam
sun
Kurdish: Sorani
siley
morning
Ethiopia: Harrar
silbi
rufous, velvety
Berber
cellan
spark
Guanche
zeloy
sun
Berber: Kabyle
azal
heat of the sun
Berber: Shihla
azal
daylight
Berber
ahel
day
Berber
zill
to light; beautiful
Basque
ziller
silver
Lettish
žilbinos
shining, dazzling
German
silber
English silver
Guanche
zelo
sky
Guanche
cel
to light
Etruscan
Cel, Cilens
god of hell
Modern Greek
sélas
dawn, brightness, light
Modern Greek
selagin
spark
Ancient Greek
sigalónei
(metathesis) glossy
Ancient Greek
selekiou
a phosphorescent fish
Ancient Greek
selēnē
moon
Modern Greek
selini iris
rainbow
Albanian
çelë
pale
Romanian
ţel
white
Lettish
salma
hoarfrost
Lettish
salt
to freeze
Swedish
sol
sun
Gaelic Ireland
solas
light etc.
Gaelic Ireland
saol
world, life, time
Gaelic Ireland
saoghal
world
Old English
sael
time, season, fortune, happiness
Old Norse
saell
happy
Old English
solace
Franch consolation
Italian
sole
sun, beauty, virtue
Italian: V.Verzasca
söli
beautiful
Spanish
sol
English sun
French
soleil
sun
Basque
xolea
blaze
Italian: V.Verzasca
zeller
sun
Etruscan
sela, usil
sun
Russian
sálice
sun
Lithuanian
saulé
sun
Lithuanian
pasaulis
world
Czech
sáláti
to beam
Italian
saliàre
somptueux
French: Poitou
salbrenaux
élégant, FEW 22: 50, cf. Italian sole, ci-dessus
French: Bas-Limousin
silletà
propre, élégant, FEW 22: 50
French: Picardy
soele
superb, magnificent
French: Bas Maine
šwël
superb, magnificent
English
swell
elegant, chic; Amer. excellent (cf. preceding)
French: Amiens
swélé
échauffé, FEW 23: 176
Anglo-Saxon
swelan
to burn
Lithuanian
svilti
to blaze
Sipihr (Persian). Base sp-, s-p :
Pashto
spin
white
Armenian
spidak, anpis
white
Kurdish
speda
dawn
Persian
sapid, safid
white
Persian
sipe
white
Persian
sipihr
world, sun, sky
Baluchi
yspet
white
Zend
spiti-gaona
white colour
Kurdish: Sorani
sipī
white, sipik egg white
Persian: Sangesari
ēspi
white
Světlina (Bulgarian), see svet
Světu (Old Slavic), see svet
Svet (Russian). Base sv-t:
Sanskrit
çvita
to shine
Sanskrit
çveta
blanc
Serbocroatian
cvēt
flower, cream
Serbocroatian
sevati
it is lightning
Old Slavic
světu
light, world
Bulgarian
světlina
world
Russian
svet
light, world
Russian
rassvot
dawn
Russian
svetilo
star
Verden (Danish), see world
Welt (German), see world
World (English). Base (s)v-r:
Sanskrit
svárati
to shine
Sanskrit
svargah
sky
Zend
hvare
sun
Albanian
verzullim
shining, sparkling
Etruscan
verse
fire
Danish
verden
world
Swedish
verld
world
English
world
The etymology wer “man” + old is devoid of meaning, even if interpreted as “age of man”
German
welt
world
Zemlja (Russian). Base h-m, z-m:
Albanian
himazi
clearly, brightly
German
himmel
sky
Hindi
himal
snow
Sanskrit
hima
snow, winter
Lettish
ziemeli
winter, the North
Russian
zemlja
earth
Greek
Zemélē
a goddess of the earth
The following names are from a root meaning “life, what is living”:
Bed (Breton), see byd.
Bith (Gaelic Ireland), see byd.
Byd (Welsh) The Breton and insular Celtic word for “world”
contains the notion of “life, existence, that which exists”:
Anc.Greek
bíos
life
English
be
to exist
Persian
buda
existence
Breton
boud
existence
Welsh
bod
life
Breton
bed
world, univers
Welsh
byd
world
Gaelic Ireland
bith
world
Gaelic Ireland
beatha
life
Russian
byte
existence