Etymology

dauphin

D2A1U1P3H4I1N1

Today it means: The eldest son of the king of France. Under the Valois and Bourbon dynasties, the Dauphin of France, generally shortened to Dauphin, was heir apparent to the throne of France. The title derived from the main title of the Dauphin, Dauphin of Viennois. Full definition →

Middle English Dauphin ← Middle French dauphin ← Old French dalphin
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dauphin · noun1

  1. Ancient Greek · derived fromδελφίς
  2. Latin · derived fromdelphīnus
  3. Old French · derived fromdalphin
  4. Middle French · derived fromdauphin
  5. Middle English · inherited fromDauphin
  6. English todaydauphin

Inherited from Middle English Dauphin, from Middle French dauphin, from Old French dalphin, from Latin delphīnus, from Ancient Greek δελφίς (delphís); the modern pronunciation is sometimes remodelled on Modern French. Doublet of dolphin.

Dauphin · noun2

See dauphin.

Dauphin · proper noun3

  1. French · borrowed fromDauphin
  2. English todayDauphin

From French Dauphin.

Words from the same roots

Latindelphīnus all →

dolphindelphinedelphinDelphinusdelphinicdelphiniondelphinoid

Ancient Greekδελφίς all →

dolphindelphinicdelphinion

FrenchDauphin all →

dauphine

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.