Etymology Explorer › Malay

Where does “Brunei” come from?

Brunei (Malay) comes from Sanskrit वरुण, from Proto-Indo-Aryan Hwárunas, from Proto-Indo-Iranian Hwárunas, from Proto-Indo-European h₁wér-u-nos, from Proto-Indo-European h₁wer- — broad.

Ancestry of “Brunei”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Sanskritवरुणocean; water; sun
2Proto-Indo-AryanHwárunas—
3Proto-Indo-IranianHwárunas—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁wér-u-nos—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁wer-broad
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁wer- →