EtymologyMap
Back to all words

Trace the journey of words

Today it means

hinterland

the remote areas of a country away from the coast or cities

Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate

Where does the word "hinterland" come from? It comes from German Hinterland, and was adopted directly into English (1890s).

Read the full story

Where does the word "hinterland" come from? It comes from German Hinterland, and was adopted directly into English (1890s).

Hinterland’s story begins in German: Hinterland meant “land behind.” 'land behind', used in colonial diplomacy for inland territory claimed behind a coastal colony. It reached English by 1890s as hinterland. Borrowed during the 'Scramble for Africa'. Today, hinterland means the remote areas of a country away from the coast or cities.

  1. Stage 1 · German · 1800s Hinterland "land behind", 'land behind', used in colonial diplomacy for inland territory claimed behind a coastal colony.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1890s hinterland "back country", borrowed during the 'Scramble for Africa'.

Browse by origin