Where does “Hunan” come from?
Hunan (English) comes from Welsh unan, from Welsh un, from Middle Welsh un, from Proto-Brythonic ʉn, from Proto-Celtic oinos, from Proto-Indo-European óynos — one; single.
Ancestry of “Hunan”, step by step
Hunan traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Welsh unan
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welsh | unan | third-person plural future of uno |
| 2 | Welsh | un | only; one; one, individual |
| 3 | Middle Welsh | un | one |
| 4 | Proto-Brythonic | ʉn | one |
| 5 | Proto-Celtic | oinos | one |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | óynos | one; single |
via Chinese Mandarin 湖南
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chinese Mandarin | 湖南 | — |