Where does “Elfenbenskusten” come from?
Elfenbenskusten (Swedish) comes from Swedish elfenben, from German Elfenbein, from Middle High German helfenbein, from Old High German helfantbein, from Old High German bein, from Proto-West Germanic bain, from Proto-Germanic bainą, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyh₂- — to fear, be afraid; to strike, hit; to hew, cut.
Ancestry of “Elfenbenskusten”, step by step
Elfenbenskusten traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Swedish elfenben
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | elfenben | ivory; the hard white form of dentine which forms... |
| 2 | German | Elfenbein | ivory |
| 3 | Middle High German | helfenbein | — |
| 4 | Old High German | helfantbein | ivory; elephant bone |
| 5 | Old High German | bein | leg; bone |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | bain | leg; bone |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | bainą | leg; bone |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeyh₂- | to fear, be afraid; to strike, hit; to hew, cut |