Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “landform” come from?

Landform combines Middle English lond and Old English land with Latin forma, derived from Ancient Greek μορφή meaning "shape," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per-.

landform (English): Any geological feature, such as a mountain or...

Definitions

  1. Any geological feature, such as a mountain or...

Ancestry of “landform”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishformTo do with shape; To do with structure or...
2Middle Englishformefirst; shape, figure, manner, bench, frame, seat,...
3Old Englishformafirst
4Old Englishforebefore; forepart, front
5Proto-Germanicfuraibefore, in front of; before, in front
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpreh₂-before, in front
7Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →