Where does “zwällef” come from?

zwällef (Central Franconian) comes from Middle High German zwelef, from Old High German zwelif, from Old High German twelif, from Proto-Germanic twalif, from Proto-Germanic -lif, from Proto-Indo-European leyp-, from Proto-Indo-European lēy- — to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave...

zwällef (Central Franconian): twelve

Definitions

  1. twelve

Ancestry of “zwällef”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanzwelef—
2Old High Germanzweliftwelve
3Old High Germantwelif—
4Proto-Germanictwaliftwelve
5Proto-Germanic-lifleft over
6Proto-Indo-Europeanleyp-to stick; fat or sticky substance
7Proto-Indo-Europeanlēy-to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lēy- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European leyp- →Every word from Proto-Germanic -lif →