Where does “svarthvítur” come from?

svarthvítur (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic svartur, from Old Norse svartr, from Proto-Germanic swartaz, from Proto-Indo-European swordo- — dirty, dark, black.

svarthvítur (Icelandic): black-and-white

Definitions

  1. black-and-white

Ancestry of “svarthvítur”, step by step

svarthvítur traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Icelandic svartur

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandicsvarturblack
2Old Norsesvartrblack
3Proto-Germanicswartazblack
4Proto-Indo-Europeanswordo-dirty, dark, black

via Icelandic hvítur

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Icelandichvíturwhite
2Old Norsehvítrwhite
3Proto-Germanichwītazwhite
4Proto-Indo-Europeanḱweytosbright; shine; shine; bright
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swordo- →Every word from Proto-Germanic swartaz →Every word from Old Norse svartr →