Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Bernstein” come from?

Bernstein comes from German Bernstein, from German barnstēn, originally meaning amber.

Ancestry of “Bernstein”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanbernstein—
2Germanstein—
3Middle High Germanstein—
4Old High Germansteinstone
5Proto-West Germanicstainstone
6Proto-Germanicstainazstone
7Proto-Indo-Europeansteyh₂-to stiffen
8Proto-Indo-Europeansteh₂-to stand

Words derived from “Bernstein”

  • Bernsteinian
Every word from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- →