Where does “ambtenaar” come from?
ambtenaar (Dutch) comes from Dutch ambt, from Middle Dutch ampt, from Middle High German ambet, from Old High German ambaht, from Proto-Germanic ambahtiją, from Proto-Germanic ambahtaz, from Gaulish ambaxtos, from Proto-Celtic ambaxtos — to drive.
ambtenaar (Dutch): civil servant
Ancestry of “ambtenaar”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | ambt | office, function, post |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | ampt | — |
| 3 | Middle High German | ambet | — |
| 4 | Old High German | ambaht | service |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | ambahtiją | service, ministry, office, message |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | ambahtaz | servant |
| 7 | Gaulish | ambaxtos | vassal, high-ranking servant |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | ambaxtos | servant |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eǵ- | to drive |
Words derived from “ambtenaar”