Where does “Luxembourg” come from?
Luxembourg derives from Middle High German Luccelemburc, from Old High German Lucilinburhuc, combining Old High German burg meaning fortified town with Proto-Germanic burgz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰrgʰ- and bʰerǵʰ-.
Ancestry of “Luxembourg”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | Luccelemburc | — |
| 2 | Old High German | Lucilinburhuc | — |
| 3 | Old High German | luzil | little |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | luttilaz | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lūtilaz | bent; tending to stoop; crouching; little |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | burgz | fortification, stronghold; city |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰr̥ǵʰ- | — |