Where does “Ísafjörður” come from?
Ísafjörður (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic fjörður, from Old Norse fjǫrðr, from Proto-Norse ᚠᛖᚱᚦᚢᛉ, from Proto-Germanic ferþuz, from Proto-Indo-European pértus, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
Ancestry of “Ísafjörður”, step by step
Ísafjörður traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Icelandic fjörður
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Icelandic | fjörður | fjord, although occasionally a geyser |
| 2 | Old Norse | fjǫrðr | firth, fjord |
| 3 | Proto-Norse | ᚠᛖᚱᚦᚢᛉ | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | ferþuz | inlet, fjord |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | pértus | crossing |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |