Serendib

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proper noun

An ancient name of Ceylon or Sri Lanka.

OriginArabic سَرَنْدِيب (sarandīb) ← Persian سرندیپ (sarandip) ← Prakrit *𑀲𑀻𑀳𑀮𑀤𑀻𑀯 (*sīhaladīva) →
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Meanings

proper noun

alternative Serendip

  1. An ancient name of Ceylon or Sri Lanka.

    2003 Brigitte. Ellemor, Richard Plunkett, Verity Campbell - Sri Lanka His last two journeys were to Sri Lanka, or Serendib as Arab mariners knew it.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
sri lanka

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-Iranian*sinȷ́ʰás
  2. Proto-Indo-Aryan*sinźʰás
  3. Sanskritसिंह (siṃha)
  4. Sanskritसिंहल (siṃhala)
  5. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  6. Proto-Indo-Iranian*dwáH
  7. Proto-Indo-Iranian*dwi-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep-
  9. Proto-Indo-Iranian*Hā́ps
  10. Proto-Indo-Iranian*dwi-Hp-ás
  11. Sanskritद्वीप (dvīpa)
  12. Sanskritसिंहलद्वीप (siṃhaladvīpa)
  13. Prakrit*𑀲𑀻𑀳𑀮𑀤𑀻𑀯 (*sīhaladīva)
  14. Persianسرندیپ (sarandip)
  15. Arabicسَرَنْدِيب (sarandīb)
  16. EnglishSerendib

From Arabic سَرَنْدِيب (sarandīb), from Persian سرندیپ (sarandip), from Prakrit *𑀲𑀻𑀳𑀮𑀤𑀻𑀯 (*sīhaladīva) or Sanskrit सिंहलद्वीप (siṃhaladvīpa, “island of the Sinhala people”). See सिंहल (siṃhala, “Sri Lanka”), द्वीप (dvīpa, “island”). Related to Ceylon.

More words from Arabic, Persian, Prakrit

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Serendib. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Serendib

MLA

“Serendib.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Serendib. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Serendib,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Serendib.

Source: Serendib on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.