Where does “Gesellschaft” come from?

Gesellschaft derives from German -schaft combined with Middle High German geselle, from Old High German gisellio, ultimately from Proto-Germanic skapjaną and Proto-Indo-European roots ḱóm and ḱe.

Gesellschaft (English): a hypothetical mode of society, made up of...

Definitions

  1. a hypothetical mode of society, made up of...

Ancestry of “Gesellschaft”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanGesellschaftsociety, community; circle; company
2Germangesellejourneyman
3Middle High Germangesellecompanion, fellow, lover
4Old High Germangiselliocompanion
5Proto-Germanicgasaljôhousemate, companion
6Proto-Germanicga-Indicates association or togetherness; co-;...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
8Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
9Middle Englishkyt
10Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
11Old High Germankuti
12Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
13Proto-Germanickweduzresin
14Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
15Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū-