Cyprus
/ˈsaɪ.prəs/noun
An island country in the eastern Mediterranean; also the name of the island itself.
Did you know?The island was so famous for copper in antiquity that its name is often linked with the Latin word *cuprum*, the source of English *copper*.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Greek / Ancient Near East
Pre-Greek
*Kúprios?
“Early local name form for the island, probably from a non-Greek substrate or a place-name associated with copper”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Κύπρος (Kýpros)
“Cyprus, the island”
Classical Latin
Latin
Cyprus
“Cyprus, the island”
Old French
Old French
Cipre
“Cyprus”
Middle English
English
Cipres / Cyprus
“The island of Cyprus”
Modern English
English
Cyprus
“The island country in the Mediterranean”