Where does “Adelaide” come from?
Adelaide comes from French Adélaïde, derived from Old High German Adalheidis, combining Old High German adal (noble) and heit (state or condition), with adal tracing to Proto-Indo-European h₂el- (to grow or nourish).
Adelaide (English): Places named for
Definitions
- Places named for
Ancestry of “Adelaide”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | Adélaïde | — |
| 2 | Old High German | Adalheid | — |
| 3 | Old High German | adal | noble; nobility; noble race |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | aþal | nobility; race |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | aþalą | nature, disposition; nobility, race |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | at-al | family, race |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂el- | to grow, nourish; beyond, other; to wander, roam |