Where does “Denmark” come from?
Denmark (Scots) comes from Danish Danmark, from Old Norse Danmǫrk, from Old Norse mǫrk, from Proto-Germanic markō, from Proto-Indo-European morǵ- — edge, boundary, border; frontier, border.
Ancestry of “Denmark”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Danish | Danmark | Denmark |
| 2 | Old Norse | Danmǫrk | — |
| 3 | Old Norse | mǫrk | mark, by weight or value, = eight ounces; forest |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | markō | border, boundary; region, area |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | morǵ- | edge, boundary, border; frontier, border |