Where does “Indianapolis” come from?

Indianapolis derives from English Indiana, a place name of uncertain origin and meaning.

Indianapolis (English): location of major car race

Definitions

  1. location of major car race

Ancestry of “Indianapolis”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-polisForms names of cities
2Latin-polisForms names of cities
3Ancient Greekπόλιςcity; a whole country, as dependent on and called...
4Proto-Hellenicptóliscity
5Proto-Indo-EuropeantpólHis—
6Proto-Indo-EuropeantpelH-fortification, city

Words derived from “Indianapolis”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European tpelH- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European tpólHis →Every word from Proto-Hellenic ptólis →