In Latin, sylva means "wood" or "forest," and the related Sylvanus is the name of the Roman god of the woods and fields—a god sometimes identified with the Greek god Pan. These words gave rise to English sylvan in the 16th century. The English word was first used as a noun meaning "a mythological deity of the woods," eventually taking on the broader meaning "one who frequents the woods." The adjective sylvan followed soon after the noun and is now the more common word. Some other offspring of sylva (which can also be spelled silva) include silviculture ("a branch of forestry dealing with the development and care of forests"), sylvatic (a synonym of sylvan that can also mean "occurring in or affecting wild animals"), and the first name Sylvia.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
So neither Danny nor I are surprised that this prequel opens on the sylvan fields of Valinor where Elven children play.Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2022 Viewable by appointment between early June and mid September, and reachable only on foot, the cottage’s densely sylvan setting can be an interim destination. J.s. Marcus, WSJ, 17 Aug. 2022 Temporary departures from the sylvan landscape for professional activities are prohibited, but the place has been known to have a hold on people.New York Times, 6 July 2022 The sylvan property set on a 2,600-acre nature preserve has been hosting the tribute since 1988, a year after the movie’s release. Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 29 July 2022 Consider the hectares and hectares of fences and hedges, often erected at considerable cost to transform a yard, and certainly a pool, into an owner’s sylvan duchy. Karen Heller, Washington Post, 20 July 2022 The real-life correlate of Circe's isle is a singular place, with a beauty that is still almost completely sylvan. Maria Shollenbarger, Travel + Leisure, 20 June 2022 Backpackers will find primitive camping and trailside shelters amid the sylvan charm of the Berkshires. Alison Van Houten, Outside Online, 6 June 2019 Patrons of the Eunice Bonner Senior Center can now add long strolls through a sylvan setting to their itineraries of lunches, art classes, yoga, and socializing. Shelley Jones, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Medieval Latin silvanus, sylvanus, from Latin silva, sylva wood