Where does “Louisiana” come from?
Louisiana comes from French Louisiane, named after French king Louis (Middle French Loïs, Old French Looïs), derived from Latin Ludovicus and Clodovicus, ultimately from Proto-Germanic hlūdaz and Proto-Indo-European ḱlew- meaning "to hear" or "famous."
Louisiana (English): A vast territory in central North America
Definitions
- A vast territory in central North America
Ancestry of “Louisiana”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | Louisiane | — |
| 2 | French | louis | A louis: various gold and silver coins issued by... |
| 3 | Middle French | Loïs | — |
| 4 | Old French | Looïs | — |
| 5 | Latin | Ludovīcus | — |
| 6 | Old High German | Hlūtwīg | — |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | Hlūdawīg | meaning famous in battle |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | hlūd | loud; sound |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | hlūdaz | loud; famous |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱlewtos | heard, famous |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱlew- | to hear |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |