Where does “angst” come from?
Angst comes from Danish angst, from Middle High German angest, from Old High German angust, from Proto-Germanic angustiz and anguz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₂enǵʰ-.
angst (English): Emotional turmoil; painful sadness; A feeling of...
Definitions
- Emotional turmoil; painful sadness; A feeling of...
Ancestry of “angst”, step by step
angst traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Danish angst
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danish | angst | afraid, anxious, alarmed; fear, alarm,... |
| 2 | Middle High German | angest | — |
| 3 | Old High German | angust | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | angustiz | narrowness, tightness; fear, anxiety |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | anguz | narrow, tight |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énǵʰus | narrow, tight |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enǵʰ- | to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;... |
via German Angst
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Angst | fear; fright; anxiety |