Where does “Midwest” come from?
Midwest comes from English west, Middle English west, Old English west, Proto-Germanic westrą and westraz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wek(ʷ)speros, meaning evening or west.
Ancestry of “Midwest”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | West | — |
| 2 | Middle English | west | west; A location to the south; the south; The... |
| 3 | Old English | west | west |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *westr | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | westrą | west; west, westward |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | westraz | west, western |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wek(ʷ)speros | evening |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | we- | — |