Caspian Sea
/ˈkæspiən ˈsiː/noun
A large inland saltwater sea between Europe and Asia.
Did you know?The sea’s name ultimately preserves the memory of the Caspi, an ancient people around the southern Caucasus, and the word has traveled through Greek and Latin into modern English.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Near East
Old Persian
(likely) Kaspiyān / Kaspi
“Name associated with the Caspi people or region”
Classical Antiquity
Greek
Κασπία θάλασσα (Kaspía thálassa)
“Caspian Sea”
Classical Antiquity
Latin
Caspii / Caspium mare
“The Caspi people / Caspian Sea”
Middle English
Old French
Caspien
“Referring to the Caspian region or sea”
Modern English
English
Caspian Sea
“The inland sea east of the Caucasus”