Mesopotamia
/ˌmɛsəpəˈteɪmiə/noun
An ancient region of the Middle East lying between and around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
Did you know?Greek writers named the region Mesopotamia, and its ancient cultures developed sophisticated omen-reading and celestial traditions that helped shape later astrology.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*medhyo-
“Middle or located between; the ancestral root behind Greek mesos.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μέσος (mésos)
“Middle, between, or in the midst.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ποταμός (potamós)
“River.”
Ancient Greek, 3rd century BCE
Greek
Μεσοποταμία (Mesopotamía)
“The land or region between the rivers.”
Classical Latin
Latin
Mesopotamia
“The region between the rivers, especially the Tigris and Euphrates.”
16th Century
English
Mesopotamia
“The historical and geographical name adopted into English for the ancient riverine region.”
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