Rotterdam
/ˈrɒt.ər.dæm/noun
A major port city in the Netherlands, located on the Nieuwe Maas river.
Did you know?The city’s name is transparently Dutch—Rotte + dam—showing how many place names preserve practical engineering history rather than myth or magic.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*ruttō
“A rough or muddy stream; the river name element behind Rotte”
Old Dutch
Old Dutch
Rotta
“The Rotte river, a local water name”
Middle Dutch
Middle Dutch
Rotterdam
“Dam on the Rotte”
14th Century
Dutch
Rotterdam
“A settlement by a dam across the Rotte river”
Modern English
English
Rotterdam
“The Dutch city name used in English”