Westhem

Dutch

Etymology

Potentially attested as westhem, alias hemdijck in the 13th century, attested with certainty as westhem in 1452. Calque of West Frisian Westhim, derived in turn from a compound of Old Frisian west (“west”) and hēm (“home, settlement”) or hem (“corner of alluvial land, inland polder”). The element west was added to distinguish the settlement from Oosthem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʋɛst.ɦɛm/
• Hyphenation: West‧hem

Proper noun

Westhem n

1. A village in Súdwest-Fryslân, Friesland, Netherlands.

References

• van Berkel, Gerard, Samplonius, Kees (2018) Nederlandse plaatsnamen verklaard (in Dutch), Mijnbestseller.nl, →ISBN