Where does “west” come from?
west (Middle Dutch) comes from Old Dutch west, from Proto-Germanic westrą, from Proto-Germanic westraz, from Proto-Indo-European wek(ʷ)speros, from Proto-Indo-European we-.
Ancestry of “west”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Dutch | west | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | westrą | west; west, westward |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | westraz | west, western |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | wek(ʷ)speros | evening |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | we- | — |