Where does “country” come from?
Country comes from Middle English contre, from Old French contree meaning "region," from Latin contrata, derived from Latin contra meaning "against" and Latin rota meaning "wheel," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots ret-, Hróth₂-eh₂, and Hreth₂-.
country (English): An area of land; a district, region; A set region...
Definitions
- An area of land; a district, region; A set region...
Ancestry of “country”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | contre | region, area; A political division, including;... |
| 2 | Old French | contree | country; the countryside |
| 3 | Latin | contrata | lying opposite; spread before |
| 4 | Latin | contra | against; opposite to; contrary to |
| 5 | Latin | rota | wheel; a car, a chariot; the disc of the sun |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | rotā | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | Hróth₂-eh₂ | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | Hreth₂- | to run |