Where does “Pfefferkorn” come from?
Pfefferkorn (English) comes from German Pfefferkorn, from German kôrn, from Middle High German korn, from Old High German korn, from Proto-West Germanic korn, from Proto-Germanic kurną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵr̥h₂nóm, from Proto-Indo-European ǵr̥h₂nós — to grow old, to mature.
Ancestry of “Pfefferkorn”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Pfefferkorn | peppercorn |
| 2 | German | kôrn | kernel; single grain |
| 3 | Middle High German | korn | — |
| 4 | Old High German | korn | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | korn | corn, grain, cereal |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | kurną | corn, grain, cereal |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵr̥h₂nóm | grain |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵr̥h₂nós | matured, grown old |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵerh₂- | to grow old, to mature |