Where does “East” come from?
East (English) comes from Middle English est, from Old English ēast, from Old Norse austr, from Proto-Germanic austrą, from Proto-Germanic austraz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwsteros.
Ancestry of “East”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | est | east, easternness; A location to the south; the... |
| 2 | Old English | ēast | east; eastern |
| 3 | Old Norse | austr | east |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | austrą | east; east, eastward |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | austraz | east, eastern |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | *h₂éwsteros | — |
Words derived from “East”