Where does “Eichel” come from?
Eichel (English) comes from German Eichel, from Middle High German eichel, from Old High German eihhila, from Proto-West Germanic *aikilā, from Proto-West Germanic aik, from Proto-West Germanic *-ilā, from Proto-Germanic aiks, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyǵ- — goat; oak.
Ancestry of “Eichel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Eichel | acorn; acorns; glans |
| 2 | Middle High German | eichel | — |
| 3 | Old High German | eihhila | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *aikilā | acorn |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | aik | oak |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | *-ilā | Forms feminine agent nouns, especially of plants and animals |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | aiks | oak tree; oak |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyǵ- | goat; oak |