Where does “Scandinavia” come from?
Scandinavia comes from Latin Scandinavia, derived from Proto-Germanic Skaþinawjō, which combines Skaþina- with Proto-Germanic awjō meaning "island," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂ekʰeh₂.
Ancestry of “Scandinavia”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | Scandinavia | Scandināvia |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | Skaþinawjō | Scadia island; Scania |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | awjō | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | agwjō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ékʷeh₂ | water |