Where does “kyrkja” come from?
kyrkja (Icelandic) comes from Old Norse kyrkja, from Proto-Germanic kwirkijaną, from Proto-Germanic kwerkō, from Proto-Indo-European gʷerh₃- — to swallow, devour, eat.
kyrkja (Icelandic): to strangle, to choke
Ancestry of “kyrkja”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | kyrkja | to :choke, strangle; Alternative spelling of... |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | kwirkijaną | to strangle |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | kwerkō | throat |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷerh₃- | to swallow, devour, eat |