Where does “kettingbrief” come from?

kettingbrief (Dutch) comes from Dutch brief, from Middle Dutch brief, from Latin brevis, from Proto-Italic *breɣʷis, from Proto-Indo-European mréǵʰus, from Proto-Indo-European mreǵʰ- — short.

kettingbrief (Dutch): chain letter

Definitions

  1. chain letter

Ancestry of “kettingbrief”, step by step

kettingbrief traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Dutch brief

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchbriefletter
2Middle Dutchbrief—
3Latinbrevisshort, small, little, narrow; brief, short;...
4Proto-Italic*breɣʷis—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmréǵʰusshort; brief
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmreǵʰ-short

via Dutch ketting

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchkettingchain; necklace
2Middle Dutchkettinc—
3Middle Dutchketene—
4Old Dutchketina—
5Latincatēnachain
6Proto-Indo-Europeankat-cub; to weave, to braid; to link or weave...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mreǵʰ- →