Pahlavi origin
Source-reportedUnknown. The immediate source is Medieval Latin Barlaam, itself borrowed from Byzantine Greek Βαρλαάμ (Barlaám) in the Byzantine Life of Barlaam and Josaphat (probably 11th c.), itself likely borrowed from Georgian ბალაჰვარ (balahvar). First attested c. 8th century as Arabic بِلَوْهَر (bilawhar), perhaps ultimately from Sanskrit भगवान् (bhagavān, “God”) or from Sanskrit पुरोहित (purohita, “priest”) via an unattested Middle Persian form.
Sources for this account (2)
- Wiktionary: BarlaamCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
- Spanish Wiktionary: BarlaamCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
