Where does “Bloemfontein” come from?
Bloemfontein (Dutch) comes from Dutch bloem, from Middle Dutch bloeme, from Old Dutch bluomo, from Proto-Germanic blōmô, from Proto-Germanic blōaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₃-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.
Ancestry of “Bloemfontein”, step by step
Bloemfontein traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch bloem
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | bloem | flower of flowering plant; flour of wheat or corn |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | bloeme | flower |
| 3 | Old Dutch | bluomo | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | blōmô | flower |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | blōaną | to bloom, to flower |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰleh₃- | bloom, flower |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |
via Dutch fontein
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | fontein | a well, spring; a fountain, monumental or small... |
| 2 | French | fontaine | fountain |
| 3 | Latin | fontana | spring, fountain, source |
| 4 | Latin | fontanus | bearing a relation to the spring or source;... |
| 5 | Latin | -anus | Of or pertaining to; -ian |
| 6 | Latin | -um | nominative neuter singular of -us; accusative... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *-om | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | *-oHom | — |