Palmyra
/pælˈmaɪrə/noun
An ancient city in Syria, famed for its monumental ruins and as a major caravan center of the classical world.
Did you know?The name Palmyra was influenced by Latin palma, “palm tree,” but the city’s older Semitic name Tadmor shows it was remembered as an oasis long before the Roman era.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Semitic
Semitic
Tadmor
“An oasis settlement in the Syrian desert”
1st Century CE
Greek
Palmyra
“The Greek/Latin name used for the oasis city”
Latin
Latin
Palmyra
“The Roman name for the Syrian city, associated by folk etymology with palms”
Modern English
English
Palmyra
“The historic ruined city in central Syria”
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