When the term dolphin was first introduced in English during the fourteenth century in a romantic epic about Alexander the Great, it was spelled as delfyn. Other variations in spelling at that time included delphin, dalphyn, daulphin, dolphyn, dolfyn, dolphyne, and doulphyn; the modern form we use today didn’t become widespread until the 1600s. The term delfyn originated from the Old French word daufin, which, through Medieval Latin dolfinus and Latin dolphinus (both with the same meaning), can be traced back to the Ancient Greek noun delphys, which means “womb”. Etymologists are uncertain as to why this connection exists, but theories suggest a perceived shape resemblance or a relation to birthing processes. Delphys, which also contributed to the -delphia part of Philadelphia, ultimately stems from the Proto-Indo-European reconstruction gwelb, also signifying “womb”.
