Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Minneapolis” come from?

Minneapolis derives from Dakota mni, meaning water, combined with the Greek-derived suffix -polis meaning city.

Ancestry of “Minneapolis”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dakotaminiwater
2Ancient Greekπόλιςcity; a whole country, as dependent on and called...
3Proto-Hellenicptóliscity
4Proto-Indo-EuropeantpólHis—
5Proto-Indo-EuropeantpelH-fortification, city
Every word from Proto-Indo-European tpelH- →