Where does “Cornwall” come from?
Cornwall derives from Old English Cornwealas, compound of Corn- and wealh, from Proto-Germanic walhaz meaning "foreigner," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱerh₂-.
Ancestry of “Cornwall”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | Cornwealas | Cornwall, inhabitants of Cornwall |
| 2 | Old English | Wēalas | — |
| 3 | Old English | wealh | foreigner; Briton or Welshman; slave |
| 4 | Old English | īeġ | island |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | auwju | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | awjō | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | agwjō | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ékʷeh₂ | water |
Words derived from “Cornwall”