Where does “Ostsee” come from?
Ostsee (German) comes from German Ost, from Middle High German ōst, from Old High German ōst, from Old Norse austr, from Proto-Germanic austrą, from Proto-Germanic austraz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwsteros.
Ancestry of “Ostsee”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Ost | the east; a wind coming from the east |
| 2 | Middle High German | ōst | — |
| 3 | Old High German | ōst | east |
| 4 | Old Norse | austr | east |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | austrą | east; east, eastward |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | austraz | east, eastern |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | *h₂éwsteros | — |