Where does “Скандинавия” come from?
Скандинавия (Russian) comes from Latin Scandināvia, from Proto-Germanic *Skadinawjō, from Proto-Germanic awjō, from Proto-Germanic agwjō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ékʷeh₂ — water.
Ancestry of “Скандинавия”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | Scandināvia | a large and fertile island in Northern Europe, perhaps Zealand or Scania |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | *Skadinawjō | Scania |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | awjō | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | agwjō | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ékʷeh₂ | water |