Where does “South Korea” come from?
South 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 “South Korea”, step by step
South 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 | — |