Where does “Hong Kong Island” come from?
Hong Kong Island (English) comes from English Island, from English iland, from Middle English iland, from Old English īeġland, from Old English īeġ, from Proto-West Germanic auwju, from Proto-Germanic awjō, from Proto-Germanic agwjō — water.
Ancestry of “Hong Kong Island”, step by step
Hong Kong Island traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Island
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Island | Long Island (in New York State) |
| 2 | English | iland | Archaic form of island |
| 3 | Middle English | iland | — |
| 4 | Old English | īeġland | island |
| 5 | Old English | īeġ | island |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | auwju | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | awjō | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | agwjō | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ékʷeh₂ | water |