Where does “norðvestur” come from?

norðvestur (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic vestur, from Old Norse vestr, from Proto-Germanic westrą, from Proto-Germanic westraz, from Proto-Indo-European wek(ʷ)speros, from Proto-Indo-European we-.

norðvestur (Icelandic): northwest

Definitions

  1. northwest

Ancestry of “norðvestur”, step by step

norðvestur traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Icelandic vestur

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandicvesturwest
2Old Norsevestrwest, westwards
3Proto-Germanicwestrąwest; west, westward
4Proto-Germanicwestrazwest, western
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwek(ʷ)sperosevening
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwe-—

via Icelandic norður

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandicnorðurnorth; north, northward
2Old Norsenorðrnorth; north, northward
3Proto-Germanicnurþrąnorth, northern; north, northward
4Proto-Germanicnurþraznorth, northern
5Proto-Indo-European*nérbelow the surface, below
Every word from Proto-Indo-European we- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wek(ʷ)speros →Every word from Proto-Germanic westraz →