Where does “motherland” come from?
Motherland derives from English mother and English land, with mother tracing through Middle English -en to Proto-Indo-European klān- meaning family or tribe, and land deriving from Proto-Indo-European lendʰ- meaning to stretch or extend.
motherland (English): The country of one's ancestors; The country of...
Definitions
- The country of one's ancestors; The country of...
Ancestry of “motherland”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Land | — |
| 2 | Middle English | land | Alternative form of lond; urine |
| 3 | Old English | hland | urine |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hlandą | urine |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | klān- | liquid, wet ground |