Where does “Österbotten” come from?
Österbotten (Swedish) comes from Swedish botten, from Old Swedish butn, from Old Norse botn, from Proto-Germanic butmaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰudʰmḗn, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- — smoke; mist, haze.
Ancestry of “Österbotten”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Swedish | botten | bottom |
| 2 | Old Swedish | butn | — |
| 3 | Old Norse | botn | bottom |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | butmaz | bottom; foundation; ground; abyss |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰudʰmḗn | bottom |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewbʰ- | deep |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |