Zephyr
/ˈzɛf.ər/noun
A soft gentle breeze, especially one from the west.
Did you know?In Greek myth, Zephyrus was the West Wind itself, and his name entered English through Latin and Old French as a poetic personification before becoming a common word for a light breeze.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weḱs-
“west”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Ζέφυρος (Zephyros)
“the West Wind, personified as a god”
Latin
Latin
zephyrus
“the west wind”
Old French
Old French
zefir / zephir
“a west wind; a gentle breeze”
14th Century
English
zephir / zephyr
“the west wind; later, a soft or gentle breeze”
Modern English
English
zephyr
“a gentle breeze”