Bosporus
/ˈbɒspərəs/noun
A narrow strait connecting the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.
Did you know?The name was already ancient in Greek antiquity, and it likely comes from a myth about Io, who was transformed into a cow and crossed the strait while wandering the earth.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Βόσπορος (Bósporos)
“The Bosporus; literally “cow crossing” or “ox ford.””
Classical Antiquity
Greek
βοῦς (boûs) + πόρος (póros)
““Cow/ox” + “crossing, passage, ford.””
Late Antiquity
Latin
Bosporus
“Borrowed proper name for the strait between Europe and Asia.”
Middle Ages
Medieval Latin / Greek
Bosporus
“The same geographic name in scholarly and cartographic use.”
Modern English
English
Bosporus
“The strait separating the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.”