Where does “Birmingham” come from?
Birmingham (British English) comes from Old English Beormingahām, from Old English ham, from Proto-West Germanic haim, from Proto-Germanic haimaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱóymos, from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- — to be lying down; to settle.
Ancestry of “Birmingham”, step by step
Birmingham traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English Beormingahām
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | Beormingahām | — |
| 2 | Old English | ham | home, house; property, estate, farm; village;... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | haim | home |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | haimaz | home; house; village |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóymos | of the home, belonging to the family; village,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱey- | to be lying down; to settle |
via Old English Bermingehame
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | Bermingehame | — |