Holland
/ˈhɒl.ənd/noun
A historical region in the western Netherlands; by extension, sometimes used informally for the Netherlands as a whole.
Did you know?The name comes from Old Dutch elements meaning “wood/forest land,” not from anything mystical or hidden—though it later became so famous that many people mistakenly used it for the entire Netherlands.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hulþą / *hulþaz
“wood, forest, or wooded ground”
Old Dutch
OD
holt land
“wooded land; forest land”
Middle Dutch
MD
Holland
“the region of Holland”
14th Century
English
Holland
“the Dutch region of Holland”
Modern English
English
Holland
“a historical region in the Netherlands; sometimes the Netherlands informally”