Eden
/ˈiː.dən/noun
In the Bible, the garden where Adam and Eve lived; by extension, a place of perfect beauty or happiness.
Did you know?The biblical Eden comes through Hebrew from a much older Mesopotamian word, and the story of paradise may have been shaped by ancient ideas of a divine, watered garden at the edge of the world.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sumerian/Akkadian
Akkadian
edinu
“plain; steppe, open country”
Hebrew Bible
Hebrew
ʿēḏen
“delight, pleasure”
Septuagint / Ancient Greek
Greek
Παράδεισος
“garden, park, paradise”
Latin
Latin
Eden
“the Garden of Eden in biblical tradition”
Old English
English
Eden
“the paradise garden of Genesis”
Modern English
English
Eden
“a place of perfect beauty, happiness, or innocence”
Explore more surprising origins