SNAKE

In most of the Indo-European languages the first sound in this word is nasal either "en", "un", "an" or "am".

Second sound is: "h", "k", "g", "ž", "s".

In many languages the same word was used to name an "eel" because that animal is simply a snake that lives in water.

Old High German "unc" might come from an earlier "uns" or rather "ųž". Compare it to Russian "уж (už)".

ANG-

--> Estonian: angerjas

--> Finnish: ankerias

Latin: anguis

Old Prussian: angis

Lithuanian: angis

Latin: anguilla ("eel")

Dalmatian: anǧola ("eel")

Old Prussian: angurgis ("eel")

Hittie: ^(MUŠ)il-lu-ya-an-ka-aš (illuyankaš) (illu + yankaš / illuya + angas; MUŠ is the Sumerian term for serpent; "fish snake")

NAG-

Sanskrit: नाग (nāgá)

NG-

Albanian: ngjalë ("eel")

AŽ- AS-

Avestan: aži

Northern Kurdish: ejî (ažî)

Parthian: ʾjdhʾg (až-δahāg)

Classical Persian: اژدها‎ (aždahā)

Book Pahlavi: ʾc' (az)

Manx: astan

-AG-

Persian: یغنیج‎ (yağnij)

AH-

Sanskrit: अहि (áhi) ("snake, the serpent of the sky, the demon Vritra, cloud, water, the number eight")

Pali: ahi

AU-

Old Armenian: աւձ (auž, awj)

Tocharian B: auk

AI-

Khowar: اي‎ (aī)

U-

Old East Slavic: ꙋжь (užĭ)

Russian: уж (už)

Czech: užovka

Slovak: užovka

Old High German: unc

German: Unke

Lithuanian: ungurys ("eel")

VUG-

Lower Sorbian: wugoŕ, hugoŕ ("eel")

VUN-

Polabian Drevani: wundžor, wundior ("eel", a regular change of Slavic g to ž or di)

VUŽ-

Belarusian: вуж (vuž)

Ukrainian: вуж (vuž)

Lower Sorbian: wuž, huž

Upper Sorbian: wuž

VON-

Polabian: vǫďör ("eel")

VEN-

Polish: węgorz ("eel")

VUH-

Belarusian: ву́гар (vúhar), вуго́р (vuhór) ("eel")

Upper Sorbian: wuhoŕ ("eel")

Ukrainian: вуго́р (vuhór) ("eel")

UG-

Russian: у́горь (úgorʹ) ("eel")

Serbo-Croatian: у̀гор, ùgor ("eel")

UH-

Czech: úhoř ("eel")

Slovak: úhor ("eel")

O-

Slovene: ọ́ž

Armenian: օձ (ōž, ōj)

Latvian: odze

Armenian: օձաձուկ (ōjajuk) ("eel", literally "snake fish")

Old Church Slavonic: ѫгорищь (ǫgorištĭ) ("eel")

Slovene: ogọ̑r ("eel")

VOŽ-

Kashubian: wąż

Polish: wąż

Slovene: vọ̑ž, gọ́ž

Serbo-Croatian Chakavian: u̯õš

E-

Ancient Greek: ἔχις (ékhis)

Old Irish: escong ("eel")

Irish: eascann

Scottish Gaelic: easgann

Ancient Greek: ἔγχελυς (énkhelus) ("eel")

SERP-

Latin: serpēns

Catalan: serp, serpent

English: serpent

Esperanto: serpento

French: serpent

Galician: serpe, serpente

Interlingua: serpente

Italian: serpe, serpente

Maltese: serp

Occitan: sèrp

Portuguese: serpente

Sicilian: serpi, serpenti, sirpenti

Spanish: sierpe, serpiente

Walloon: sierpint

Romanian: șerpânță

Romansch: serp, serpent, serpaint

HERP-

Ancient Greek: ἑρπετόν (herpetón) ("any animal which walks on four legs, creeping animal, reptile, especially a snake, living being")

HAR-

Dhivehi: ހަރުފަ‎ (harufa)

SARP-

---> Telugu: సర్పము (sarpamu)

---> Kannada: ಸರ್ಪ (sarpa)

---> Tamil: சர்ப்பம் (carppam)

---> Sinhalese: සර්පයා (sarpayā)

---> Malayalam: സർപ്പം (sarppaṃ)

Sanskrit: सर्प (sarpá)

Gujarati: સર્પ (sarp)

Hindi: सर्प (sarp)

Marathi: सर्प (sarp)

Aromanian: sharpi

Romanian: șarpe

Romansch: siarp

Friulian: sarpint

SORP

Bengali: সর্প (sôrp)

Konkani: सोरोप (sorop)

SARF-

Welsh: sarff

ORP-

Aeolic Greek: ὄρπετον (órpeton)

SAP-

Bengali: সাপ (sap)

Marathi: साप (sāp)

Hindi: साँप (sā̃p)

Gujarati: સાપ (sāp)

Romani: sap

Punjabi: ਸੱਪ (sap), سپ‎ (sapp)

Old Marathi: sāpa

Nepali: साँप (sā̃pa)

Maharastri Prakrit: sappa

Pali: sappa

Sauraseni Prakrit: sappa

Thai: สัปปะ (sàp-bpà)

Sindhi: سپُ‎ / सपु (sapu)

Oriya: ସାପ (sapô)

HAP-

Assamese: সাপ (hap)

HAF-

Sylheti: haf

Article created on the 7th of April 2019. Last updated on the 20th of December 2020.