Where does “Switzerland” come from?
Switzerland derives from English Switzer, a person from Switzerland, combined with English land, tracing back through Middle English lond and Old English land to Proto-Indo-European lendʰ-, meaning to stretch or extend.
Switzerland (English): A neutral party in a dispute; one who does not...
Definitions
- A neutral party in a dispute; one who does not...
Ancestry of “Switzerland”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Switzer | A native or inhabitant of Switzerland, a Swiss... |
| 2 | German | Schwytzer | a Swiss person |
| 3 | Middle High German | Swīz | the valley or the town of Schwyz; Schwyz |
| 4 | Old High German | Suittes | the town of Schwyz |
| 5 | Old High German | swīdan | to burn |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | swīþan | to burn, to singe |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | swīþaną | to burn, singe |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | swey- | to twist, swing; to hiss; whistle; to swing,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sew- | to press out, extract; juice; liquid, rain; to... |
Words derived from “Switzerland”