Where does “Scandinavian” come from?
Scandinavian comes from English Scandinavia, from Latin Scandinavia, from Proto-Germanic Skaþinawjō, combining Proto-Germanic elements with Latin -anus and Proto-Indo-European h₂ekʷeh₂.
Scandinavian (English): Someone from Scandinavia; Of Scandinavia; Of the...
Definitions
- Someone from Scandinavia; Of Scandinavia; Of the...
Ancestry of “Scandinavian”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | scandinavia | — |
| 2 | Latin | Scandināvia | a large and fertile island in Northern Europe, perhaps Zealand or Scania |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *Skadinawjō | Scania |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | awjō | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | agwjō | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ékʷeh₂ | water |