Where does “Orkneyan” come from?

Orkneyan (English) comes from English Orkney, from Old Norse Orkneyjar, from Old Norse ey, from Proto-Norse *ᚨᚢᛃᚢ, from Proto-Germanic awjō, from Proto-Germanic agwjō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ékʷeh₂ — water.

Orkneyan (English): Of or pertaining to the Orkney Islands; A native...

Definitions

  1. Of or pertaining to the Orkney Islands; A native...

Ancestry of “Orkneyan”, step by step

Orkneyan traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Orkney

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishOrkney—
2Old NorseOrkneyjarthe Orkney Islands
3Old Norseeyalways, ever; island
4Proto-Norse*ᚨᚢᛃᚢ—
5Proto-Germanicawjōfloodplain; meadow; island
6Proto-Germanicagwjō—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ékʷeh₂water

via English ān

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishān—
2Middle Englishāna, an indefinite article
3Old Englishānlonely; entirely alone, solitary, single; one
4Proto-West Germanicainone
5Proto-Germanicainazone; some
6Proto-Indo-Europeanóynosone; single
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ékʷeh₂ →Every word from Proto-Germanic agwjō →Every word from Proto-Germanic awjō →