Where does “motorväg” come from?
motorväg (Swedish) comes from Swedish väg, from French vague, from Middle French vague, from Old French vague, from Old Norse vágr, from Proto-Germanic wēgaz, from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- — to bring; to transport.
motorväg (Swedish): a freeway (US), a motorway (UK)
Definitions
- a freeway (US), a motorway (UK)
Ancestry of “motorväg”, step by step
motorväg traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Swedish väg
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | väg | road, street, path; way, course, direction,... |
| 2 | French | vague | wave; vague; vagueness |
| 3 | Middle French | vague | — |
| 4 | Old French | vague | movement on the surface of a liquid, ripple |
| 5 | Old Norse | vágr | ocean, sea; inlet, bay |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | wēgaz | wave; sea |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | weǵʰ- | to bring; to transport |