Etymology Explorer › Finnish

Where does “Etelä-Korea” come from?

Etelä-Korea (Finnish) comes from Finnish etelä, from Slovak Etela, from English ethel, from Middle English ethel, from Old English æþel, from Old English æþele, from Proto-Germanic aþalaz, from Proto-Germanic aþalą — to grow, nourish; beyond, other; to wander, roam.

Ancestry of “Etelä-Korea”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Finnisheteläsouth
2SlovakEtela—
3EnglishethelThe letter Œ/œ, or the rune ᛟ; Alternative form...
4Middle Englishethelhomeland, ancestral territory; patrimony; athel
5Old Englishæþelhomeland, ancestral territory; noble, a person of...
6Old Englishæþelenoble
7Proto-Germanicaþalaznoble
8Proto-Germanicaþaląnature, disposition; nobility, race
9Proto-Indo-Europeanat-alfamily, race
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂el-to grow, nourish; beyond, other; to wander, roam
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂el- →