Where does “Eichen” come from?
Eichen (English) comes from German eichen, from German Eiche, from Middle High German eich, from Old High German eih, from Proto-West Germanic aik, from Proto-West Germanic *-ilā, from Proto-Germanic aiks, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyǵ- — goat; oak.
Ancestry of “Eichen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | eichen | to calibrate, to gauge; oaken, oak |
| 2 | German | Eiche | An oak tree, an oak, "Quercus"; the common tree;... |
| 3 | Middle High German | eich | — |
| 4 | Old High German | eih | oak |
| 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 |