Ethiopian
/ˌiː.θiˈoʊ.pi.ən/noun
A person from Ethiopia or, more broadly, something relating to Ethiopia.
Did you know?The Greek root Aithiops was used in antiquity for peoples of Africa south of Egypt, and its original sense is commonly explained as “burnt face,” showing how geography, color, and ancient imagination got fused into one word.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Αἰθίοψ (Aithíops)
“An Ethiopian; in ancient usage, often a dark-skinned person from the south”
Late Latin
Latin
Aethiops
“An Ethiopian”
Old French
Old French
Ethiopien
“An Ethiopian; Ethiopian”
Middle English
English
Ethiopian
“An Ethiopian; relating to Ethiopia”
Modern English
English
Ethiopian
“A person from Ethiopia or something relating to Ethiopia”
Explore more surprising origins