Where does “Yellowknife” come from?

Yellowknife (English) comes from English yellow, from Middle English yelow, from Old English ġeolu, from Proto-West Germanic gelu, from Proto-Germanic gelwaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃wós, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃- — to flourish; green, yellow.

Ancestry of “Yellowknife”, step by step

Yellowknife traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English yellow

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishyellowHaving yellow as its color; Lacking courage;...
2Middle Englishyelowyellow, yellowish, gold; yellow-coloured;...
3Old Englishġeoluyellow
4Proto-West Germanicgeluyellow
5Proto-Germanicgelwazyellow
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰelh₃wósyellow, green
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰelh₃-to flourish; green, yellow

via English knife

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishknifeA utensil or a tool designed for cutting,...
2Middle EnglishknyfA knife as a tool or instrument; the following...
3Old Englishcnīfknife
4Old Norseknífrknife
5Proto-Germanicknībazpincers; shears; knife
6Proto-Germanicknīpanąto pinch
7Proto-Indo-Europeanǵneybʰ-—

via Dogrib T'satsąot'ınę

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1DogribT'satsąot'ınęYellowknives, a Treaty 8 First Nation of the Athabaskan Tribe

Words derived from “Yellowknife”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃- →