Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “Īrland” come from?

Īrland (Old English) comes from Old English Īras, from Old Norse Írar, from Old Irish Ériu, from Primitive Irish *Īweriū, from Proto-Celtic Φīweryū, from Proto-Indo-European piHweryon-, from Proto-Indo-European peyH- — fat, milk.

Ancestry of “Īrland”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old EnglishĪrasIrishmen
2Old NorseÍrarIrishmen
3Old IrishÉriuIreland
4Primitive Irish*Īweriū—
5Proto-CelticΦīweryū—
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanpiHweryon-—
7Proto-Indo-EuropeanpeyH-fat, milk
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peyH- →