Where does “Waterloo” come from?
Waterloo comes from Middle Dutch loo combined with Old Dutch watar, from Proto-West Germanic watar, Proto-Germanic watōr, and Proto-Indo-European wódr̥, ultimately deriving from the Proto-Indo-European root wed- meaning water.
Waterloo (English): "Often in the term" meet one's Waterloo: a...
Definitions
- "Often in the term" meet one's Waterloo: a...
Ancestry of “Waterloo”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | wāter | water |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | loo | sacred wood, forest; forest, thicket |
| 3 | Old Dutch | lō | forest |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | lauh | clearing; meadow |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | lauhaz | clearing; meadow |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lówkos | clearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lewḱ- | lynx |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | lewk- | bright; to shine; to see |