*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of Susan

English form of the biblical Susanna, from Biblical Hebrew שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (šōšannā, “lily”), ultimately from Egyptian z:S:n-M9 (zšn).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
name

A female given name from Hebrew.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

English form of the biblical Susanna, from Biblical Hebrew שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (šōšannā, “lily”), ultimately from Egyptian z:S:n-M9 (zšn).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "hbo",
        "2": "שׁוֹשַׁנָּה",
        "3": "",
        "4": "lily",
        "tr": "šōšannā"
      },
      "expansion": "Biblical Hebrew שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (šōšannā, “lily”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "egy-h",
      "args": {
        "1": "z:S:n-M9"
      },
      "expansion": "z:S:n-M9"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "egy",
        "3": "<hiero>z:S:n-M9</hiero>",
        "tr": "zšn"
      },
      "expansion": "Egyptian z:S:n-M9 (zšn)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Susanna",
      "Susanna#English"
    ],
    [
      "שׁוֹשַׁנָּה",
      "שושנה#Hebrew"
    ],
    [
      "z:S:n-M9",
      "z:S:n-M9#Egyptian"
    ],
    [
      "zšn",
      "zšn#Egyptian"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
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      "glosses": [
        "A female given name from Hebrew."
      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A person from the ancient city of Susa.

adj

Of or pertaining to the ancient city of Susa.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree English Susa Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Italic *-nos Proto-Italic *-ānos Latin -ānus Old French -ainder. Middle English -an English -an English Susan From Susa + -an.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "Susa",
        "4": "-an",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nEnglish Susa\nProto-Indo-European *-nós\nProto-Italic *-nos\nProto-Italic *-ānos\nLatin -ānus\nOld French -ainder.\nMiddle English -an\nEnglish -an\nEnglish Susan\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-nós\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-nos\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-ānos\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ānus\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"-ain\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-an\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-an\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"Susan\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"Susan\">\nFrom Susa + -an."
    },
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        "4": "-an",
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      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nEnglish Susa\nProto-Indo-European *-nós\nProto-Italic *-nos\nProto-Italic *-ānos\nLatin -ānus\nOld French -ainder.\nMiddle English -an\nEnglish -an\nEnglish Susan\nFrom Susa + -an."
    }
  ],
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    [
      "Susa",
      "Susa#English"
    ],
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      "*-nós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-nós"
    ],
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      "*-nos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/-nos"
    ],
    [
      "*-ānos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/-ānos"
    ],
    [
      "-ānus",
      "-anus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "-ain",
      "-ain#Old_French"
    ],
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      "-an",
      "-an#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "-an",
      "-an#English"
    ],
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    ],
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      "-an",
      "-an#English"
    ]
  ],
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      "pos": "adj",
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        "Of or pertaining to the ancient city of Susa."
      ],
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        "not-comparable"
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Susan →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-U3VzYW4