Where does “Storebælt” come from?

Storebælt (Danish) comes from Danish bælt, from Translingual Baltia, from Finnish ia, from Finnish ja, from Proto-Finnic ja, from Proto-Germanic jahw, from Proto-Germanic -hw, from Proto-Germanic -hwe — and; Forms distributives from interrogatives.

Storebælt (Danish): the Great Belt; the body of water between Funen and Zealand

Definitions

  1. the Great Belt; the body of water between Funen and Zealand

Ancestry of “Storebælt”, step by step

Storebælt traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Danish bælt

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Danishbælt
2TranslingualBaltiagenus
3FinnishiaObsolete spelling of ja
4Finnishjaand; AND
5Proto-Finnicjaand
6Proto-Germanicjahwand, also
7Proto-Germanic-hwand; Forms distributives from interrogatives
8Proto-Germanic-hwe
9Proto-Indo-European-kʷeand; Forms distributives from interrogatives

via Danish stør

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Danishstørsturgeon
2Old Norsestórrbig, large, tall, great
3Proto-Germanicstōrazbig, large; strong
4Proto-Indo-Europeansteh₂-ro-large, big, thick; old
5Proto-Indo-Europeansteh₂-to stand
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -kʷeEvery word from Proto-Germanic -hwEvery word from Proto-Germanic jahw