Where does “hæraþ” come from?
hæraþ (Old Swedish) comes from Old Norse herað, from Proto-Germanic hīwą, from Proto-Indo-European ḱeyw-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱey- — to be lying down; to settle.
Ancestry of “hæraþ”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | herað | district; country |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | hīwą | marriage |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱeyw- | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱey- | to be lying down; to settle |