Where does “Austurland” come from?
Austurland (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic austur, from Old Norse austr, from Proto-Germanic austrą, from Proto-Germanic austraz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwsteros — in the direction of dawn, east.
Ancestry of “Austurland”, step by step
Austurland traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Icelandic austur
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Icelandic | austur | east, eastward; in the east; east |
| 2 | Old Norse | austr | east |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | austrą | east; east, eastward |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | austraz | east, eastern |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | *h₂éwsteros | in the direction of dawn, east |