Where does “鐵路” come from?
鐵路 (Chinese) comes from German Eisenbahn, from German Bahn, from Middle High German ban, from Old High German bana, from Proto-West Germanic *banu, from Proto-Germanic banō, from Proto-Germanic banô, from Proto-Indo-European gʷʰon-on-.
鐵路 (Chinese): railroad; railway
Definitions
- railroad; railway
Ancestry of “鐵路”, step by step
鐵路 traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via German Eisenbahn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Eisenbahn | railway, railroad; train |
| 2 | German | Bahn | route, trail; rail transport; tram, train;... |
| 3 | Middle High German | ban | — |
| 4 | Old High German | bana | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *banu | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | banō | a battlefield; a clearing; open space; a cleared... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | banô | murderer |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰon-on- | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰen- | to strike, slay, kill |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰon- | — |