Where does “Amsterdam” come from?
Amsterdam derives from Middle Dutch Aemstelredam, composed of Amstel, a river name, and Middle Dutch dam meaning an embankment or barrier structure.
Amsterdam (English): most being named after the Dutch city
Definitions
- most being named after the Dutch city
Ancestry of “Amsterdam”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | Amsterdam | — |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | Aemstelredam | — |
| 3 | Dutch | dam | dam; king |
| 4 | Middle French | dame | dame, double checkers piece |
| 5 | Spanish | dama | lady, dame; queen |
| 6 | French | dame | A lady; A polite form of address for a woman;... |
| 7 | Old French | dame | lady; woman |
| 8 | Late Latin | domna | lady, mistress |
| 9 | Latin | domina | lady or mistress of the house |
| 10 | Latin | Dominus | the Lord; Lord; The Lord |
| 11 | Latin | domus | house, home; any building or abode; native place,... |
| 12 | Proto-Italic | domos | house, home |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | dṓm | home; house |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | dem- | to build; to arrange, to put together |