Where does “ailan” come from?
ailan (Torres Strait Creole) comes from English Island, from English iland, from Middle English iland, from Old English īeġland, from Old English īeġ, from Proto-West Germanic auwju, from Proto-Germanic awjō, from Proto-Germanic agwjō — water.
ailan (Torres Strait Creole): island
Ancestry of “ailan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Island | — |
| 2 | English | iland | Archaic form of island |
| 3 | Middle English | iland | — |
| 4 | Old English | īeġland | island |
| 5 | Old English | īeġ | island |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | auwju | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | awjō | floodplain; meadow; island |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | agwjō | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ékʷeh₂ | water |