Where does “Champaign” come from?
Champaign (English) comes from Old French champaigne, from Late Latin campania, from Latin campus, from Proto-Indo-European kh₂emp-, from Proto-Indo-European kh₂em- — to bend, to curve.
Champaign (English): Open countryside, or an area of open countryside
Definitions
- Open countryside, or an area of open countryside
Ancestry of “Champaign”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | champaigne | — |
| 2 | Late Latin | campania | open country, battlefield; field; level country |
| 3 | Latin | campus | Open flat level ground: a plain, a natural field;... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂emp- | to bend; crooked; to bend, curve |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kh₂em- | to bend, to curve |