Syria
/ˈsɪr.i.ə/noun
A country in Western Asia on the eastern Mediterranean coast.
Did you know?The Greek form Syria appears to be historically connected to Assyria, so the name of modern Syria may preserve one of the Near East’s oldest imperial identities.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Συρία (Suría)
“The Levantine region east of the Mediterranean”
Classical Latin
Latin
Syria
“The Roman province and surrounding region”
Late Antiquity
Greek/Latin
Syriā / Syria
“The broader region of Syria under Greco-Roman rule”
Old French
Old French
Sirie
“The land of Syria”
Middle English
English
Syrie
“Syria, the Near Eastern region”
Modern English
English
Syria
“A country in Western Asia”