Where does “North Korea” come from?
North Korea (English) comes from English Korea, from Dutch Core, from Korean 고려, from Chinese 高麗, from Dutch kool, from Middle Dutch col, from Old Dutch kōl, from Latin caulis.
Ancestry of “North Korea”, step by step
North Korea traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Korea
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Korea | — |
| 2 | Dutch | Core | — |
| 3 | Korean | 고려 | consideration; reflection |
| 4 | Chinese | 高麗 | Korean ginseng; cabbage |
| 5 | Dutch | kool | cabbage; coal; carbon |
| 6 | Middle Dutch | col | — |
| 7 | Old Dutch | kōl | — |
| 8 | Latin | caulis | dative plural of caulae; ablative plural of... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | καυλός | stem, stalk; shaft |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | keh₂ulós | — |
via English North
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | North | Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie |
| 2 | French | Nord | north |
| 3 | Middle French | nord | north |
| 4 | Old French | nort | north |
| 5 | Old English | norþ | north |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | nurþrą | north, northern; north, northward |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | nurþraz | north, northern |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | *nér | below the surface, below |