Where does “Strathclyde” come from?
Strathclyde comes from Scottish Gaelic Srath Chluaidh, combining srath from Old Irish srath, derived from Proto-Celtic stratos and Proto-Indo-European str̥h₃tós, ultimately from the root sterh₃-.
Ancestry of “Strathclyde”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Scottish Gaelic | Srath Chluaidh | — |
| 2 | Scottish Gaelic | srath | river valley; low-lying or flat part of a valley... |
| 3 | Old Irish | srath | grass, grassy place; grassland |
| 4 | Proto-Celtic | stratos | valley |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | str̥h₃tós | stretched, spread |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sterh₃- | to spread, extend, stretch out |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ster- | sterile, infertile |