Where does “north-west” come from?
north-west (English) comes from Cornish north, from English North, from French Nord, from Middle French nord, from Old French nort, from Old English norþ, from Proto-Germanic nurþrą, from Proto-Germanic nurþraz — below the surface, below.
north-west (English): Alternative spelling of northwest
Definitions
- Alternative spelling of northwest
Ancestry of “north-west”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cornish | north | north |
| 2 | English | North | Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie |
| 3 | French | Nord | north |
| 4 | Middle French | nord | north |
| 5 | Old French | nort | north |
| 6 | Old English | norþ | north |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | nurþrą | north, northern; north, northward |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | nurþraz | north, northern |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | *nér | below the surface, below |