Where does “Spitsbergen” come from?
Spitsbergen (Dutch) comes from Dutch bergen, from Middle Dutch bergen, from Old Dutch bergan, from Proto-West Germanic bergan, from Proto-Germanic berganą, from Proto-Indo-European bʰerǵʰ- — to rise; high, lofty; hill, mountain.
Spitsbergen (Dutch): Spitsbergen (the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago)
Definitions
- Spitsbergen (the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago)
Ancestry of “Spitsbergen”, step by step
Spitsbergen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch bergen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | bergen | to store, to stash away; to salvage |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | bergen | to get to safety, to keep safe; to stash away, to... |
| 3 | Old Dutch | bergan | to shelter, to hide |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | bergan | to preserve, to keep; to protect, to shelter |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | berganą | to take care of; to preserve, to keep; to... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰerǵʰ- | to rise; high, lofty; hill, mountain |