Where does “gewelf” come from?
gewelf (Dutch) comes from Dutch welven, from Middle Dutch welven, from Old Dutch *welven, from Proto-Germanic *hwalbijaną, from Proto-Germanic *hwalbaz — curved, vaulted.
gewelf (Dutch): vault, cellar; arch, vault
Definitions
- vault, cellar; arch, vault
Ancestry of “gewelf”, step by step
gewelf traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch welven
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | welven | to bend like an arch, to arch; to be shaped like... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | welven | to vault, to arch, to roof over; to cover |
| 3 | Old Dutch | *welven | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *hwalbijaną | to cause to turn over |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *hwalbaz | curved, vaulted |
via Dutch ge
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | ge | "unstressed form of gij:" you |