Deltas
/ˈdɛl.təz/noun
Plural of delta; a triangular river mouth or the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet.
Did you know?The geographic sense of delta was coined by ancient Greek writers because the Nile’s branching mouth resembled the uppercase letter Δ, making this one of the clearest examples of a shape becoming a word.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dey-
“to shine or be bright”
Ancient Greek
Greek
δέλτα
“the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, named from the Phoenician daleth”
Classical Greek
Greek
Δ
“the capital letter delta, a triangular shape”
Late Greek
Greek
δέλτα
“a river mouth or river deposit shaped like the letter Δ”
Late Latin
Latin
delta
“borrowed Greek term for a river mouth”
Modern English
English
deltas
“plural of delta; river mouths or the Greek letters Δ”
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