Where does “Midgard” come from?
Midgard (English) comes from Old Norse Miðgarðr, from Proto-Germanic midjagardaz, from Proto-Germanic midjaz, from Proto-Indo-European médʰyos, from Proto-Indo-European medʰi-, from Proto-Indo-European me — in the middle of, near, by, around, with.
Midgard (English): The Earth of traditional Germanic cosmology, conceived as a middle realm between heaven (Asgard) and hell (Helheim); the abode of human beings, between those of the gods (Æsir) and the dead
Definitions
- The Earth of traditional Germanic cosmology, conceived as a middle realm between heaven (Asgard) and hell (Helheim); the abode of human beings, between those of the gods (Æsir) and the dead
Ancestry of “Midgard”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | Miðgarðr | the Earth, Midgard, Middle Earth, the world that humans (mostly) live in |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | midjagardaz | middle-earth; middle enclosure |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | midjaz | middle, mid |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | médʰyos | middle |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | medʰi- | with, among; with, along |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | me | in the middle of, near, by, around, with |