'Argentina' originates from Latin via Spanish; specifically from the Latin word 'argentum' meaning 'silver', adopted into Spanish as 'Argentina' in reference to the Río de la Plata ('river of silver').

'Argentina' developed from the Latin 'argentum' → Medieval/Old Spanish usage referring to 'land of silver' (e.g. 'tierra argentina') and was adopted into English as the country name 'Argentina' from the 16th–17th centuries.

Initially it meant 'of silver' or 'silvery' (from 'argentum'), but over time it became the proper name for the country now known as 'Argentina'.