Where does “Bolivia” come from?
Bolivia (Latin) comes from Spanish Bolivia, from Spanish Bolívar, from Basque Bolibar, from Basque bolu, from Latin molīnum, from Latin molīnus, from Latin mola, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
Ancestry of “Bolivia”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | Bolivia | — |
| 2 | Spanish | Bolívar | Simón Bolívar (1783–1830), South American leader, the most famous person with this surname |
| 3 | Basque | Bolibar | — |
| 4 | Basque | bolu | windmill |
| 5 | Latin | molīnum | a mill |
| 6 | Latin | molīnus | mill |
| 7 | Latin | mola | millstone; mill; ground meal |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |