Where does “medelhav” come from?

medelhav (Swedish) comes from Swedish medel, from Middle Dutch lô, from Old Dutch lō, from Proto-West Germanic lauh, from Proto-Germanic lauhaz, from Proto-Indo-European lówkos, from Proto-Indo-European lewḱ-, from Proto-Indo-European lewk- — bright; to shine; to see.

medelhav (Swedish): Mediterranean Sea; a sea mostly enclosed by land

Definitions

  1. Mediterranean Sea; a sea mostly enclosed by land

Ancestry of “medelhav”, step by step

medelhav traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Swedish medel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishmedela means (to an end)
2Middle Dutchclearing in a forest
3Old Dutchforest
4Proto-West Germaniclauhclearing; meadow
5Proto-Germaniclauhazclearing; meadow
6Proto-Indo-Europeanlówkosclearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow
7Proto-Indo-Europeanlewḱ-lynx
8Proto-Indo-Europeanlewk-bright; to shine; to see

via Swedish håv

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishhåvhand net
2Swedishströmcurrent, flow; the part of a fluid that moves...
3Old Swedishströmber
4Old Norsestraumra stream, a current, a race, a river; the tide
5Proto-Germanicstraumazstream, current, river
6Proto-Indo-Europeansrowmosriver
7Proto-Indo-Europeansrew-to flow, stream
8Proto-Indo-Europeanser-to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewk-Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewḱ-Every word from Proto-Indo-European lówkos