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-.
Cornwall (English): The country of the Cornish, currently having the status of a royal duchy in England belonging to the male heir apparent to the reigning monarch, and consisting at least of the Cornwall County and the Isles of Scilly
Definitions
- The country of the Cornish, currently having the status of a royal duchy in England belonging to the male heir apparent to the reigning monarch, and consisting at least of the Cornwall County and the Isles of Scilly
Ancestry of “Cornwall”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | Cornwealas | Cornwall, inhabitants of Cornwall |
| 2 | Old English | Wēalas | the Welsh |
| 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 |