Where does “kingdom” come from?
Kingdom derives from Middle English kingdom, from Old English cyningdōm, from Proto-Germanic kuningadōmaz and kuningaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁-, meaning to place or put.
kingdom (English): A realm having a king and/or queen as its actual...
Definitions
- A realm having a king and/or queen as its actual...
Ancestry of “kingdom”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | kingdom | dominion, lordship, rulership; The dominion and... |
| 2 | Old English | cyningdōm | Royal power or authority; sovereignty or rule |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *kuningadōm | realm, kingdom |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | kuningadōmaz | realm, kingdom |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | kuningaz | king |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | kunją | kin, family, clan; omen, portent, miracle |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵn̥h₁yom | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵenh₁- | to produce, to beget, to give birth |