Where does “Ostfriesland” come from?
Ostfriesland (German) comes from German Friesland, from German land, from Middle High German lant, from Old High German lant, from Proto-West Germanic land, from Proto-Germanic landą, from Proto-Indo-European lendʰ- — land, heath; loins.
Ancestry of “Ostfriesland”, step by step
Ostfriesland traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Friesland
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Friesland | Frisia |
| 2 | German | land | country territory of a nation |
| 3 | Middle High German | lant | land; country |
| 4 | Old High German | lant | land; country |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | land | land, area of ground |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | landą | land, area of ground |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lendʰ- | land, heath; loins |
via German Osten
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Osten | East; The territory of the former GDR |
| 2 | Old High German | ostan | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | austrą | east; east, eastward |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | austraz | east, eastern |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | *h₂éwsteros | in the direction of dawn, east |