Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Oz” come from?

Oz is a colloquial abbreviation of Australia, which derives from Latin terra australis incognita, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂ews- meaning "to burn" or "dawn," through Latin auster meaning "south wind."

Oz (English): An unreal, magical realm

Definitions

  1. An unreal, magical realm

Ancestry of “Oz”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishAustralia—
2Latinterra austrālis incōgnita—
3LatinausterThe south wind; south
4Proto-Italic*austeros—

Words derived from “Oz”

  • Ozzie
  • Ozploitation
Every word from Proto-Italic *austeros →