Where does “Bellefontaine” come from?

Bellefontaine (English) comes from French Bellefontaine, from French beau, from Middle French beau, from Old French beau, from Latin bellus, from Latin villus, from Latin vellus, from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁- — to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool.

Ancestry of “Bellefontaine”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1FrenchBellefontaine
2Frenchbeauhandsome, fine, attractive; nice; fair
3Middle Frenchbeaubeautiful; handsome; attractive
4Old FrenchbeauAlternative form of biau; fair
5Latinbellusbeautiful, pretty, handsome; pleasant, agreeable,...
6Latinvillushair, tuft of hair, shaggy hair
7LatinvellusThe wool shorn from a sheep; fleece; wool; The...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂welh₁-to rule; strong, powerful; hair; wool
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂welh₁-Every word from Latin vellusEvery word from Latin villus