Where does “zwanenzang” come from?

zwanenzang (Dutch) comes from Dutch zang, from Middle Dutch sanc, from Old Dutch sang, from Proto-Germanic sangwaz, from Proto-Indo-European songʷʰos.

zwanenzang (Dutch): swan song

Definitions

  1. swan song

Ancestry of “zwanenzang”, step by step

zwanenzang traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Dutch zang

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchzangsinging, song
2Middle Dutchsancsinging, chanting; song; first/third-person...
3Old Dutchsang—
4Proto-Germanicsangwazsinging, song
5Proto-Indo-Europeansongʷʰos—

via Dutch Zwaan

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1DutchZwaanCygnus
2Middle Dutchswane—
3Old Dutchswano—
4Proto-Germanicswanô—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European songʷʰos →