Where does “Australia” come from?
Australia derives from Latin terra australis incognita, from Latin auster meaning "south wind," from Proto-Indo-European h₂ews- meaning "to dawn" or "to burn."
Ancestry of “Australia”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | terra austrālis incōgnita | — |
| 2 | Latin | auster | The south wind; south |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | *austeros | — |