Where does “beholder” come from?
beholder (Danish) comes from German Behälter, from German behalten, from Middle High German behalten, from Old High German bihaltan, from Proto-West Germanic bihaldan, from Proto-West Germanic haldan, from Proto-Germanic haldaną, from Proto-Indo-European kel- — to hit; beat; to pierce, to stab; goblet.
beholder (Danish): container; tank; present of beholde
Definitions
- container; tank; present of beholde
Ancestry of “beholder”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Behälter | container |
| 2 | German | behalten | to keep, to retain (money, items, etc. in one's possession) |
| 3 | Middle High German | behalten | — |
| 4 | Old High German | bihaltan | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | bihaldan | to keep |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | haldan | to hold; to keep |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | haldaną | to hold, to keep |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kel- | to hit; beat; to pierce, to stab; goblet |