Where does “hovedafdeling” come from?

hovedafdeling (Danish) comes from Danish afdeling, from German Abteilung, from German abteilen, from German ab-, from German AB, from Middle High German ab, from Old High German ab, from Proto-Germanic *ab.

hovedafdeling (Danish): main department, head office, main branch

Definitions

  1. main department, head office, main branch

Ancestry of “hovedafdeling”, step by step

hovedafdeling traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Danish afdeling

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Danishafdelingpart; section; division
2GermanAbteilungdepartment; division; battalion
3Germanabteilento divide, to split apart, to sunder, to section
4Germanab-Separable verb prefix that indicates removal or...
5GermanABAbbreviation of Anrufbeantworter; Abbreviation of...
6Middle High Germanab
7Old High Germanabof
8Proto-Germanic*ab
9Proto-Indo-Europeanapó

via Danish hoved

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Danishhovedhead; mind; person
2Old Norsehǫfuðhead
3Old Norse-ith
4Latinly; used to form adverbs from adjectives
5Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
6Latincalceusshoe
7Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
8Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble
Every word from Proto-Indo-European apóEvery word from Proto-Germanic *abEvery word from German ab-