paradise (English)

Where does "paradise" come from?

The word paradise traces its roots to the Proto-Iranian term *paridayjah, which described an enclosed space or garden surrounded by a wall. This concept traveled through Ancient Greek and Latin before passing into Old French and eventually entering English, where it replaced the older Germanic term neorxnawang. Over time, its meaning expanded from referring to a literal royal park to the celestial afterlife and various other idyllic settings.

Full etymology tree

• paradise (English), 'The place where sanctified souls are believed to live after death.'
  • inherited paradis (Middle English)
    • borrowed paradis (Old French), 'paradise'
      • inherited paradīsus (Latin), 'park, orchard, yard'
        • borrowed παράδεισος (parádeisos) (Ancient Greek), 'the garden owned by the Persian nobility'
          • borrowed *paridayjah (Proto-Iranian), 'circular boundary wall; place enclosed by a circular boundary wall'
            • compound *pari- (Proto-Iranian)
              • inherited *pari- (Proto-Indo-Iranian)
                • inherited *péri (Proto-Indo-European), 'around'
            • compound *dáyjah (Proto-Iranian)
              • inherited *dʰáyȷ́ʰas (Proto-Indo-Iranian)
                • inherited *dʰóyǵʰos (Proto-Indo-European), 'something that is kneaded, formed'
                  • deverbal *dʰeyǵʰ- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to knead'

Direct ancestors

• paradis (Old English)
• paradis (Old French)
• paradisus (Latin)
• παράδεισος (Ancient Greek)
• paridayjah (Proto-Iranian)
• parvis (English)
• neorxnawang (Old English)

Updated July 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris