Ariana
/ˌɛəriˈɑːnə/
proper noun
Origin
Old Persian
arya — noble or Aryan
Overview
Meaning Now
- A historical geographical region corresponding to the eastern part of the Persian Empire.
- A feminine given name derived from the Greek form of the name Ariadne or the historical regional name.
Literal older meaning
Land of the Aryans
Language path
Old Persian → Ancient Greek → English
Earliest form
Ἀρειανή
Earliest period
4th century BCE
Journey
Ariana was a term used by ancient Greek authors to describe a vast region of the Iranian plateau, including parts of modern Afghanistan and Iran. It is etymologically connected to the root 'Aryan', referring to the people inhabiting the region.
Evolution
- Old Persian
Ariya
“Aryan”
Self-designation of the Iranian peoples.
- Ancient Greek
Ἀρειανή (Areianē)
“The land of the Arians”
Latinized as Ariana.
- Middle Persian
Ērān
“Land of the Aryans”
- Modern English
Ariana
“Proper noun”
Adopted as a given name in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Connections
Word parts
Aryan
root
noble
-a
suffix
territorial marker
Related across languages
Persian
ایران (Īrān)
Land of the Aryans
Avestan
Airyāna
Aryan land
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.