The story
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ews-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂éwss?
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂éwsteros
- Proto-Italic*austeros
- Latinauster
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
- Latinaustrālis
- Latinterra austrālis incōgnitainflu.
- English todayAustralia
First attested 16th century, from Latin terra austrālis incōgnita (“unknown southern land”), from auster (“the south wind”). Used also in 1693 (quotation below). Popularised by Matthew Flinders in 1814 (quotation below). By surface analysis, Austral- + -ia. Distantly cognate to Austria, containing the same Proto-Indo-European root, but through German where it retained the earlier sense of “east” rather than “south”. See also Terra Australis.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.