Where does “Transvaal” come from?
Transvaal comes from Latin trans meaning "across" combined with English Vaal, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European terh₂- meaning "to cross or pass through."
Ancestry of “Transvaal”, step by step
Transvaal traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Afrikaans vaal
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Afrikaans | vaal | sallow, pallid, pale, light |
| 2 | Dutch | vaal | sallow, pallid; pale, light |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | vāle | — |
| 4 | Old Dutch | falo | gray, fallow |
| 5 | Frankish | falu | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | falwaz | pale, gray, fallow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | polHwós | pale, gray |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pelH- | pale, gray |
via English Vaal
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Vaal | — |