Where does “Nordamerika” come from?
Nordamerika (German) comes from German nord, from Middle High German nort, from Old High German nord, from Proto-West Germanic *norþr, from Proto-Germanic nurþraz, from Proto-Indo-European *nér — below the surface, below.
Ancestry of “Nordamerika”, step by step
Nordamerika traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German nord
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | nord | the north (used without article; a short form of Norden) |
| 2 | Middle High German | nort | — |
| 3 | Old High German | nord | north |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *norþr | northern, northernly |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | nurþraz | north, northern |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | *nér | below the surface, below |
via German Amerika
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Amerika | America |