Where does “美國” come from?
美國 (Chinese) comes from Chinese 美利堅, from English american, from English -n, from Old Norse -inn, from Proto-Norse -īna-, from Proto-Germanic -īnaz, from Proto-Indo-European -iHnos, from Proto-Indo-European -no- — adjectival suffix.
Ancestry of “美國”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chinese | 美利堅 | America; USA |
| 2 | English | american | A citizen or national of the United States of America |
| 3 | English | -n | Alternative form of -en; API; Alternative form of... |
| 4 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 5 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |