Where does “voorjaar” come from?
voorjaar (Dutch) comes from Dutch jaar, from Dutch ring, from Middle Dutch rinc, from Old Dutch rinc, from Proto-West Germanic hring, from Proto-Germanic hringaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)krengʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- — to cut, cut off, sever.
voorjaar (Dutch): spring
Ancestry of “voorjaar”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | jaar | A year, the time it takes the Earth to circle the... |
| 2 | Dutch | ring | ring, hollow circular object; ring; beltway, ring... |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | rinc | ring; circle; circle of people |
| 4 | Old Dutch | rinc | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | hring | ring, circle |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hringaz | ring, circle; curve; sound, ring |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)krengʰ- | to turn, bend |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |