Where does “hinterland” come from?
Hinterland comes from German Hinterland, combining hintar (back, behind) from Old High German hintar and lant (land) from Old High German lant, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European lendʰ- meaning to stretch or extend.
hinterland (English): The land immediately next to, and inland from, a...
Definitions
- The land immediately next to, and inland from, a...
Ancestry of “hinterland”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Hinterland | hinterland |
| 2 | German | land | — |
| 3 | Middle High German | lant | land; country |
| 4 | Old High German | lant | land; country |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | land | land, area of ground |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | landą | land, area of ground |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lendʰ- | land, heath; loins |
Words derived from “hinterland”