Where does “North Carolina” come from?
North Carolina (Danish) comes from English North Carolina, from Latin Carolus, from Middle High German Karl, from Old High German karl, from Proto-Germanic karilaz, from Proto-Germanic karaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂- — to grow old, to mature.
Ancestry of “North Carolina”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | North Carolina | — |
| 2 | Latin | Carolus | Charles |
| 3 | Middle High German | Karl | — |
| 4 | Old High German | karl | man |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | karilaz | free man, franklin; little man, young man |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | karaz | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵerh₂- | to grow old, to mature |