Where does “Cape Town” come from?
Cape Town (English) comes from Dutch Kaapstad, from Dutch stad, from Middle Dutch stat, from Old Dutch stad, from Proto-Germanic stadiz, from Proto-Indo-European stéh₂tis, from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂-.
Ancestry of “Cape Town”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | Kaapstad | — |
| 2 | Dutch | stad | city, town; the town/city centre |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | stat | place; position, station; rank, status |
| 4 | Old Dutch | stad | a site, place, location, standing |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | stadiz | place, location |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | stéh₂tis | standing, position |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | *steh₂- | — |
Words derived from “Cape Town”