зефир (Russian)
Where does "зефир" come from?
The Russian word 'зефир' originates from the Ancient Greek 'Ζέφυρος,' which personified the gentle west wind. It evolved through Latin as 'zephyrus' and later into French as 'zéphyr,' eventually being adopted into Russian. Over time, the term shifted from its mythological origins to describe the light, airy breeze, which inspired the name for the soft, cloud-like marshmallow confectionery we eat today.
Full etymology tree
- зефир (Russian), 'zephyr'
- borrowed zéphyr (French), 'zephyr'
- inherited zephire (Middle French)
- inherited zephyrus (Latin), 'the gentle west wind, the western breeze, zephyr; personified as the Greek god Zephyrus'
- borrowed Ζέφυρος (Zéphuros) (Ancient Greek), 'Zephyrus, the west wind'
- inherited *Dzépʰuros (Proto-Hellenic)
- borrowed Ζέφυρος (Zéphuros) (Ancient Greek), 'Zephyrus, the west wind'
- inherited zephyrus (Latin), 'the gentle west wind, the western breeze, zephyr; personified as the Greek god Zephyrus'
- inherited zephire (Middle French)
- borrowed zéphyr (French), 'zephyr'
Ancestors
- zéphyr (French)
Descendants and derived words
- zefir (English)
- zephyr (English)
- zephyr (English)
- ზეფირი (Georgian)
Updated June 2026
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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris