Where does “Bolivia” come from?
Bolivia (Swedish) comes from Spanish Bolívar, from Basque Bolibar, from Basque bolu, from Latin molīnum, from Latin molīnus, from Latin mola, from Proto-Indo-European melh₂-, from Proto-Indo-European mel- — to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange.
Ancestry of “Bolivia”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | Bolívar | Simón Bolívar (1783–1830), South American leader, the most famous person with this surname |
| 2 | Basque | Bolibar | — |
| 3 | Basque | bolu | windmill |
| 4 | Latin | molīnum | a mill |
| 5 | Latin | molīnus | mill |
| 6 | Latin | mola | millstone; mill; ground meal |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | melh₂- | to grind, to crush |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mel- | soft; tender; weak; to deceive; to rub |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | mey- | to strengthen; to bind; to change, exchange |