Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Andalusia” come from?

Andalusia derives from Vulgar Latin Vandalicia, which comes from Arabic الْأَنْدَلُس, ultimately referring to the Iberian peninsula under medieval Islamic rule.

Ancestry of “Andalusia”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Medieval LatinAndalusia—
2Arabicالْأَنْدَلُس—
3Vulgar LatinVandalicialand of the Vandals
4Proto-Germanicwandilazwanderer; Vandal; Vendil
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwendʰ-eh₂-—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwendʰ-to wind, to turn

Words derived from “Andalusia”

  • Andalusian
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wendʰ- →