Where does “Lenkija” come from?
Lenkija (Lithuanian) comes from Lithuanian lenkas, from Old East Slavic лѧхъ, from Proto-Slavic lęxъ, from Proto-Slavic lęděninъ, from Proto-Slavic lędo, from Proto-Indo-European lendʰ- — land, heath; loins.
Ancestry of “Lenkija”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Lithuanian | lenkas | Pole |
| 2 | Old East Slavic | лѧхъ | — |
| 3 | Proto-Slavic | lęxъ | — |
| 4 | Proto-Slavic | lęděninъ | dweller of wasteland / wold, virgin soil |
| 5 | Proto-Slavic | lędo | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lendʰ- | land, heath; loins |