paradise

Where does the word "paradise" come from? It comes from Old Persian pairidaēza, passing through Greek, Latin and Old French before entering English (c. 1200s).

Paradise’s story begins in Old Persian: pairidaēza meant “walled garden.” Described the walled royal gardens of Persian kings. By ancient, the word had taken hold in Greek as parádeisos. Xenophon used it to describe Persian royal parks. From there it passed into Latin as paradisus by ancient. Adopted in Christian texts for the Garden of Eden. Old French picked it up next, as paradis, around c. 1100s. Kept the religious sense of a heavenly garden. It reached English by c. 1200s as paradise. Broadened to mean any place of perfect happiness. Today, paradise means a place or state of perfect happiness; heaven.

1. Stage 1 · Old Persian · ancient pairidaēza "walled garden", described the walled royal gardens of Persian kings.
2. Stage 2 · Greek · ancient parádeisos "a park, garden", Xenophon used it to describe Persian royal parks.
3. Stage 3 · Latin · ancient paradisus "the Garden of Eden; heaven", adopted in Christian texts for the Garden of Eden.
4. Stage 4 · Old French · c. 1100s paradis "heaven", kept the religious sense of a heavenly garden.
5. Stage 5 · English · c. 1200s paradise "a place of ideal happiness", broadened to mean any place of perfect happiness.