Where does “São Nicolau” come from?
São Nicolau (Portuguese) comes from Portuguese Nicolau, from Old Portuguese Nicolao, from Latin Nīcolāum, from Ancient Greek Νικόλαος, from Ancient Greek λᾱός, from Proto-Hellenic lāwós, from Proto-Indo-European leh₂wos, from Proto-Indo-European leh₂- — to bark, howl; to be concealed.
Ancestry of “São Nicolau”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Portuguese | Nicolau | Nicholas |
| 2 | Old Portuguese | Nicolao | — |
| 3 | Latin | Nīcolāum | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | Νικόλαος | Nicolas |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | λᾱός | people; men; the people |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | lāwós | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂wos | people |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | leh₂- | to bark, howl; to be concealed |