Where does “Autobahn” come from?
Autobahn (English) comes from German Autobahn, from German Auto, from German automobil, from Spanish automóvil, from Russian автомоби́ль, from French automobile, from French auto-, from Ancient Greek αὐτο-.
Ancestry of “Autobahn”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Autobahn | A class of road built to freeway standards,... |
| 2 | German | Auto | car |
| 3 | German | automobil | automobile |
| 4 | Spanish | automóvil | automobile |
| 5 | Russian | автомоби́ль | — |
| 6 | French | automobile | automotive; automobile |
| 7 | French | auto- | auto- |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | αὐτο- | self- |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | αὐτός | αὐτή f, αὐτό n; "first/second declension";... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ew | away from, off; again |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰe | — |