Etymology Map
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Arroyo

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a steep-sided gully cut by running water in an arid region

Where does the word "arroyo" come from? It comes from Latin arrugia, passing through Spanish before entering English (1800s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
arrugia
Latin · ancient
"mine gallery"
Pliny the Elder used it for mine galleries in Roman Spain
2
Stage 2 of 3
arroyo
Spanish · medieval
"stream"
a stream or gully
3
Stage 3 of 3
arroyo
American English · 1800s
"dry gully"
used for the dry creek beds of the Southwest
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Read the full story

Arroyo’s story begins in Latin: arrugia meant “mine gallery.” Pliny the Elder used it for mine galleries in Roman Spain. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Spanish as arroyo. A stream or gully. It reached English by 1800s as arroyo. Used for the dry creek beds of the Southwest. Today, arroyo means a steep-sided gully cut by running water in an arid region.