An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Paradies

by Friedrich Kluge

Paradies, neuter, ‘paradise,’ from Middle High German paradîse, paradîs, pardîs (its accent fluctuates), neuter, Old High German paradîsi, paradîs, neuter (Middle High German î explains the earlier Modern High German Paradeis). It corresponds to Old Saxon paradîs, Dutch paradijs, Middle English paradise; the cognates are derived from the biblical and ecclesiastical paradîsus, παράδεισος (properly ‘pleasure-ground, park’), which again is of Persian origin. Compare Zend pairidaeza, ‘rampart, enclosure.’