Diana

See also: Appendix:Variations of "diana"

English

Diana (1)

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin Diāna, short form of Latin Dīāna, derived by syncope from Old Latin Dīvāna, equivalent to dīvus +‎ -āna; roughly akin to Proto-Italic *deiwā (“goddess”) + Proto-Indo-European *-néh₂.

Originally an Old Italic divinity of light and the moon; later identified as the Roman counterpart to Greek goddess Artemis. Cognate of Attic Greek Διώνη (Diṓnē), similarly syncopated from older Ancient Greek Διϝωνη (Diwōnē), whence via Latin Diōne is derived English Dione used in various ways across astronomy, chemistry, biology, and as a given name. From the same root Proto-Indo-European *dyúh₃onh₂- also potentially cognate to English June via Latin Jūnō.

Pronunciation

• (UK, General American) IPA^(key): /daɪˈænə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ænə

Proper noun

Diana

1. (Roman mythology) The daughter of Latona and Jupiter, and twin sister of Apollo; the goddess of the hunt, associated wild animals and the forest or wilderness, and an emblem of chastity; the Roman counterpart of Artemis.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 19:27:
     :

     So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and all the world worshippeth.

2. (astronomy) 78 Diana, a main belt asteroid.
3. A female given name from Latin.
   • 1605, William Camden, Remains Concerning Britain, John Russell Smith, published 1870, page 56:

     But succeeding ages (little regarding S. Chrysosthome's admonition to the contrary) have recalled prophane names, so as now Diana, Cassandra, Hyppolytus, Venus, Lais, names of unhappy disaster are as rife, as ever they were in paganism.

   • 1993, James Kirkup, Queens Have Died Young and Fair, P. Owen, →ISBN, page 94:

     A wholesome British name like Diana, Anne, Margaret or Elizabeth impresses a judge much more than all your vulgar Marilyns, Donnas, Madonnas and Dawns.

Coordinate terms

• (Eternal Virgin Goddesses): Artemis, Athena/Minerva, Hestia/Vesta

Derived terms

• Diana monkey

Related terms

• Di
• Diane
• Dianna
• Dianne

Descendants

• → Hawaiian: Kiana
  • → English: Kiana
• → Serbo-Croatian: Дајана, Dajana
• → Spanish: Dayana

Translations

Roman goddess

• Armenian: Դիանա (hy) (Diana)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 狄安娜 (Dí'ānnà), 狄阿娜 (Dí'ānà)

• Coptic: ⲇⲓⲁⲛⲏ (dianē)
• Czech: Diana (cs) f
• Danish: Diana
• Dutch: Diana (nl) f
• Estonian: Diana
• French: Diane (fr) f
• Georgian: დიანა (diana)
• German: Diana (de) f
• Greek: Άρτεμις (el) f (Ártemis)
• Italian: Diana (it)
• Japanese: ダイアナ (Daiana)
• Latin: Dīāna f, Jāna f, Iāna, Diāna, Dīvāna
• Latvian: Diāna f
• Marathi: डायना f (ḍāynā)
• Middle English: Diane, Dyan, Dyane
• Polish: Diana (pl) f
• Portuguese: Diana (pt) f
• Russian: Диа́на (ru) f (Diána)
• Spanish: Diana (es) f
• Swedish: Diana (sv)
• Vietnamese: thần Đi-anh

female given name

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 戴安娜 (zh) (Dài'ānnà), 黛安娜 (zh) (Dài'ānnà)

• Coptic: ⲇⲓⲁⲛⲏ (dianē)
• Czech: Diana (cs) f
• Danish: Diana
• Estonian: Diana
• French: Diane (fr) f
• Galician: Diana (gl) f
• Georgian: დიანა (diana)
• German: Diana (de) f
• Hebrew: דיאנה f
• Italian: Diana (it)
• Japanese: ダイアナ (Daiana)
• Kazakh: Дайана (Daiana)
• Latvian: Diāna f
• Marathi: डायना f (ḍāynā)
• Norwegian: Diana f
• Polish: Diana (pl) f
• Portuguese: Diana (pt) f
• Russian: Диа́на (ru) f (Diána), Дайа́на (ru) f (Dajána)
• Spanish: Diana (es) f
• Swedish: Diana (sv)

Noun

Diana (plural Dianas)

1. A Diana monkey.

See also

• Cynthia
• Delia

Anagrams

• Adina, Aidan, Andai, IANAD, Ida'an, Nadia, Naiad, naiad

Cebuano

Etymology

From English Diana, borrowed from Latin Diāna.

Proper noun

Diana

1. a female given name from English [in turn from Latin]
2. (Roman mythology) Diana; the daughter of Latona and Jupiter, and twin sister of Apollo; the goddess of the hunt, associated wild animals and the forest or wilderness, and an emblem of chastity; the Roman counterpart of Artemis
3. (astronomy) the asteroid 78 Diana

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈdɪjana]

Proper noun

Diana f

1. (Roman mythology) Diana (Roman goddess)
2. a female given name, equivalent to English Diana

Declension

Declension of Diana (hard feminine)

	singular	plural
nominative	Diana	Diany
genitive	Diany	Dian
dative	Dianě	Dianám
accusative	Dianu	Diany
vocative	Diano	Diany
locative	Dianě	Dianách
instrumental	Dianou	Dianami

Further reading

• “Diana”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “Diana”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

Danish

Proper noun

Diana

1. (Roman mythology) Diana
2. a female given name, equivalent to English Diana

Estonian

Proper noun

Diana

1. (Roman mythology) Diana
2. a female given name, equivalent to English Diana

Faroese

Proper noun

Diana f

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Diana

Usage notes

Matronymics

• son of Diana: Dianuson
• daughter of Diana: Dianudóttir

Declension

	Singular
	Indefinite
Nominative	Diana
Accusative	Dianu
Dative	Dianu
Genitive	Dianu

German

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Diana f (genitive Dianas or Diana)

1. (Roman mythology) Diana
2. a female given name, equivalent to English Diana

Italian

Etymology

From Latin Diana.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdja.na/, /diˈa.na/
• Rhymes: -ana
• Hyphenation: Dià‧na, Di‧à‧na

Proper noun

Diana f

1. (Roman mythology) Diana
2. a female given name, equivalent to English Diana

Proper noun

Diana m or f by sense

1. a surname

Anagrams

• Nadia, andai, danai

Japanese

Romanization

Diana

1. Rōmaji transcription of ディアナ

Latin

Alternative forms

• Deana, Iāna, Jāna

Etymology

Original form with long i Dīāna, derived by syncope from Dīvāna, equivalent to dīvus +‎ -āna; some inscriptions read Deiana or Deana, akin to deus +‎ -āna; both feminine stem words dīva and dea meaning “goddess” derived from Old Latin deiva, from Proto-Italic *deiwā from Proto-Indo-European *deywós from *dyew- (“heaven, day sky; to shine”). See Old Latin Diēspiter, a primitive form of Iuppiter, formed by appending a suffix to Latin diēs, cognate to both dīvus and deus.

Diana is also called Iāna (“Jana”), analogous to procope of Old Latin Diovis into Iovis (“Jove”).

The form Dīviāna occurs in Varro's attempt to explain the etymology of the name, with the now-discredited explanation that "quod luna in altitudinem et latitudinem simul <i>t, Diviana, appellata"; the intention seems to be to derive the name from dēviō (“stray, deviate”), from via (“road”). If Dīviāna was a genuinely used variant form (rather than a hypothetical form proposed as a precursor), it appears to represent a univerbation dīva +‎ Iāna, literally “Goddess Jana”.

Compare Attic Greek Διώνη (Diṓnē), Doric Greek Διώνᾱ (Diṓnā), syncopated from Ancient Greek Διϝωνᾱ (Diwōnā), from a shared root whence by analogical formation also evolved Latin Iūnō, Iūnōnis.

Pronunciation

• Dīāna: (Old Latin) IPA^(key): /diːˈaː.na/, [d̪iːˈäːnä]
• Diāna: (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /diˈaː.na/, [d̪iˈäːnä]
• Diāna: (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /diˈa.na/, [d̪iˈäːnä]

Proper noun

Dīāna or Diāna f (genitive Dīānae or Diānae); first declension

1. (religion) Diana, the daughter of Latona and Jupiter, and twin sister of Apollo; the goddess of the hunt, associated with wild animals and the forest or wilderness, and an emblem of chastity; the Roman counterpart of Greek goddess Artemis.

Declension

Old Latin long i form Dīāna, first-declension noun

	singular	plural
nominative	Dīāna	Dīānae
genitive	Dīānae	Dīānārum
dative	Dīānae	Dīānīs
accusative	Dīānam	Dīānās
ablative	Dīānā	Dīānīs
vocative	Dīāna	Dīānae

Late Latin short i form Diāna, first-declension noun

	singular	plural
nominative	Diāna	Diānae
genitive	Diānae	Diānārum
dative	Diānae	Diānīs
accusative	Diānam	Diānās
ablative	Diānā	Diānīs
vocative	Diāna	Diānae

Descendants

• Eastern Romance
  • Aromanian: dzãnã, zãnã
  • Romanian: zână
• Old French: gene (“mischievous fairy”)
• Sardinian: giàna
• West Iberian
  • Asturian: xana
  • Galician: xa (“mischievous fairy”)
• →? Albanian: zanë
• ⇒ Neapolitan: janara (“witch”)

As a female given name:

• → Belarusian: Дзіяна (Dzijana)
• → Bulgarian: Диана (Diana)
• → Catalan: Diana
• → Coptic: Ⲇⲓⲁⲛⲏ (Dianē)
• → Czech: Diana
• → Danish: Diana
• → Dutch: Diana
• → English: Diana (see there for further descendants)
• → Estonian: Diana
• → Faroese: Diana
• → French: Diane (see there for further descendants)
• → German: Diana
• → Hungarian: Diána
• → Icelandic: Díana
• → Italian: Diana
• → Latvian: Diāna
• → Lithuanian: Diana
• → Macedonian: Дијана (Dijana)
• → Norwegian: Diana
• → Polish: Diana
• → Portuguese: Diana
• → Romani: Teany
• → Romanian: Diana
• → Russian: Диана (Diana)
• → Serbo-Croatian: Дијана, Dijana
• → Slovak: Diana
• → Slovene: Dijana
• → Spanish: Diana
• → Swedish: Diana
• → Ukrainian: Діана (Diana)

Further reading

• “Diana”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “Diana”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Diana in Georges, Karl Ernst, Georges, Heinrich (1913–1918) Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th edition, volume 1, Hahnsche Buchhandlung
• Diana in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Lithuanian

Proper noun

Diana f

1. a female given name

Middle English

Proper noun

Diana

1. Alternative form of Diane

Polish

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Late Latin Diāna, from Latin Dīāna, from Old Latin Dīvāna.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdja.na/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ana
• Syllabification: Dia‧na

Proper noun

Diana f

1. a female given name from Latin, equivalent to English Diana

Declension

Declension of Diana

	singular	plural
nominative	Diana	Diany
genitive	Diany	Dian
dative	Dianie	Dianom
accusative	Dianę	Diany
instrumental	Dianą	Dianami
locative	Dianie	Dianach
vocative	Diano	Diany

Proper noun

Diana f

1. (Roman mythology) Diana (Roman goddess)

Declension

Declension of Diana

	singular
nominative	Diana
genitive	Diany
dative	Dianie
accusative	Dianę
instrumental	Dianą
locative	Dianie
vocative	Diano

Further reading

• Diana in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin Diāna. Doublet of Daiane and Daiana.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒiˈɐ̃.nɐ/ [d͡ʒɪˈɐ̃.nɐ], (faster pronunciation) /ˈd͡ʒjɐ̃.nɐ/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒiˈɐ̃.nɐ/ [d͡ʒɪˈɐ̃.nɐ], (faster pronunciation) /ˈd͡ʒjɐ̃.nɐ/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒiˈɐ.na/ [d͡ʒɪˈɐ.na], (faster pronunciation) /ˈd͡ʒjɐ.na/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /diˈɐ.nɐ/, (faster pronunciation) /ˈdjɐ.nɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /diˈɐ.nɐ/, (faster pronunciation) /ˈdjɐ.nɐ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /diˈa.nɐ/, (faster pronunciation) /ˈdja.nɐ/

• Hyphenation: Di‧a‧na

Proper noun

Diana f (plural Dianas)

1. (Roman mythology) Diana (Roman goddess)
2. a female given name, equivalent to English Diana

See also

• Artemisa

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈdi̯ana]

Proper noun

Diana f (genitive singular Diany, nominative plural Diany, declension pattern of žena)

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Diana
2. (Roman mythology) Diana

Declension

Declension of Diana

	singular	plural
nominative	Diana	Diany
genitive	Diany	Dián
dative	Diane	Dianám
accusative	Dianu	Diany
locative	Diane	Dianách
instrumental	Dianou	Dianami

Derived terms

• Dianka

Further reading

• “Diana”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2024

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin Diāna.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdjana/ [ˈd̪ja.na]
• Rhymes: -ana
• Syllabification: Dia‧na

Proper noun

Diana f

1. (Roman mythology) Diana
2. a female given name from Latin, equivalent to English Diana

Related terms

• Dayana

 

Swedish

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Diana c (genitive Dianas)

1. (Roman mythology) Diana
2. a female given name, equivalent to English Diana