Edited by Richard Walker, Saturday, 10 Oct 2015, 04:40
I always used to think 'paradise' was from the Greek 'paradisos', a garden—and so it is, but the word is apparently something classical Greek borrowed, from an ancient Persian word for a deer park, or something with a wall round it.
The word survives into modern Greek, although 'κηπος' ('key-poss') is commoner.
Now here's the link-up. 'Garden' means a guarded place. It's Germanic and seems to imply a perimeter fence. Variants are 'yard' (as in front or back), and 'ward', as in keep watch over (what a warden does).
So gardens are places that have walls around them, to conserve things. Just like paradises.
And what is kept in a 'κηπος'? Well if it's trees it could be a "δενδρόκηπος', dendrokipos = tree garden = orchard.
Beware the apples Adam and Eve! You may be evicted and end up beyond the pale.
In An English Country Paradise
I always used to think 'paradise' was from the Greek 'paradisos', a garden—and so it is, but the word is apparently something classical Greek borrowed, from an ancient Persian word for a deer park, or something with a wall round it.
The word survives into modern Greek, although 'κηπος' ('key-poss') is commoner.
Now here's the link-up. 'Garden' means a guarded place. It's Germanic and seems to imply a perimeter fence. Variants are 'yard' (as in front or back), and 'ward', as in keep watch over (what a warden does).
So gardens are places that have walls around them, to conserve things. Just like paradises.
And what is kept in a 'κηπος'? Well if it's trees it could be a "δενδρόκηπος', dendrokipos = tree garden = orchard.
Beware the apples Adam and Eve! You may be evicted and end up beyond the pale.