Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ghost island” come from?

ghost island (English) comes from English Island, from English iland, from Middle English iland, from Old English īeġland, from Old English īeġ, from Proto-West Germanic auwju, from Proto-Germanic awjō, from Proto-Germanic agwjō — water.

ghost island (English): An area of road surface marked with cross...

Definitions

  1. An area of road surface marked with cross...

Ancestry of “ghost island”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishIsland—
2EnglishilandArchaic form of island
3Middle Englishiland—
4Old Englishīeġlandisland
5Old Englishīeġisland
6Proto-West Germanicauwjufloodplain; meadow; island
7Proto-Germanicawjōfloodplain; meadow; island
8Proto-Germanicagwjō—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ékʷeh₂water
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ékʷeh₂ →