Where does “half-world” come from?

half-world (English) comes from English World, from Middle English world, from Old English weorold, from Proto-West Germanic weraldi, from Proto-Germanic weraldiz, from Proto-Germanic weraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.

half-world (English): A hemisphere

Definitions

  1. A hemisphere

Ancestry of “half-world”, step by step

half-world traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English World

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishWorldThe specific world, or any of several specific constituent worlds, that humans live in, among any other (real or possible) worlds
2Middle EnglishworldThe world, the planet; A dimension, realm, or...
3Old Englishweoroldworld
4Proto-West Germanicweraldiworld
5Proto-Germanicweraldizlifetime, worldly existence; mankind; world
6Proto-Germanicwerazman; husband
7Proto-Indo-EuropeanwiHrósman; husband; warrior, hero
8Proto-Indo-Europeanweyh₁-to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute

via English half

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhalfConsisting of a half; Consisting of some...
2Middle Englishhalfhalf
3Old Englishhealfside; half; partly
4Proto-Germanic*halb
5Proto-Germanichalbazhalf
6Proto-Indo-European(s)kelH-to cut; to split, to separate
7Proto-Indo-European(s)kel-to bend, crook; bent, crooked; leg, heel, knee,...

via French demi-monde

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchdemi-mondedemimonde
2Frenchmondeworld; people; good heavens
3Old Frenchmondethe world; clean; pure
4Latinmundusclean, pure; neat; nice, fine, elegant,...
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanmewH-to wash, wet; to make wet, wash; wet
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁-Every word from Proto-Indo-European wiHrósEvery word from Proto-Germanic weraz