Where does “Middelburg” come from?
Middelburg (Dutch) comes from Dutch middel-, from Dutch middel, from Middle Dutch lô, from Old Dutch lō, from Proto-West Germanic lauh, from Proto-Germanic lauhaz, from Proto-Indo-European lówkos, from Proto-Indo-European lewḱ- — bright; to shine; to see.
Ancestry of “Middelburg”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | middel- | middle, centre, between |
| 2 | Dutch | middel | means; medicine, cure; waist |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | lô | clearing in a forest |
| 4 | Old Dutch | lō | forest |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | lauh | clearing; meadow |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | lauhaz | clearing; meadow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lówkos | clearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | lewḱ- | lynx |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | lewk- | bright; to shine; to see |