From Swedish aria, from Italian aria (“air, song”), from Ancient Greek ἀήρ (aḗr, “air”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weh₁- (“to blow”). In use since the late 19th century, for instance attested in Agathon Meurman: Sanakirja yleiseen siwistykseen kuuluwia tietoja warten ("Dictionary for Information within Common Knowledge", 1883-1890).