ciao

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱlewH-der.?
2. Proto-Slavic*slov-
3. Proto-Slavic*Slov-?
4. Proto-Slavic*slověninъ
5. Ancient GreekΣκλαβηνός (Sklabēnós)
6. Medieval GreekΣκλᾰ́βος (Sklắbos)
7. Late LatinSclavus
8. Medieval Latinsclavus
9. Venetans-ciao, sciavo
10. Italianciao
11. English todayciao

Borrowed from Italian ciao (“hello, goodbye”), from Venetan ciao (“hello, goodbye, your (humble) servant”), from Venetan s-ciao / s-ciavo (“servant, slave”), from Medieval Latin sclavus (“Slav, slave”), related also to Italian schiavo, English Slav, slave and Old Venetan S-ciavón (“Slav”), from Latin Sclavus, ultimately from Proto-Slavic *slověninъ. Not related to Vietnamese chào (“hello, goodbye”). Doublet of Slav and slave.

Words from the same roots