Where does “Ross-shire” come from?
Ross-shire (English) comes from English Ross, from Welsh rhos, from Proto-Brythonic rros, from Latin Rosa, from Ancient Greek ῥόδον, from Old Persian wurdi, from Proto-Germanic wurdiz, from Proto-Indo-European wrti- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
Ancestry of “Ross-shire”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Ross | — |
| 2 | Welsh | rhos | moor; heath |
| 3 | Proto-Brythonic | rros | moor, heath |
| 4 | Latin | Rosa | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ῥόδον | rose; 423 BCE, Aristophanes, The Clouds :ῥόδα μ’... |
| 6 | Old Persian | wurdi | flower |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | wurdiz | fate, destiny |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wrti- | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wert- | to turn, to rotate |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |