Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. Emotional turmoil; painful sadness; A feeling of...

Ancestry of “angst”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Danishangstafraid, anxious, alarmed; fear, alarm,...
2Middle High Germanangest—
3Old High Germanangust—
4Proto-Germanicangustiznarrowness, tightness; fear, anxiety
5Proto-Germanicanguznarrow, tight
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂énǵʰusnarrow, tight
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enǵʰ-to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;...

Words derived from “angst”

  • angsty
  • angstful
  • Mulderangst
  • angstfic
  • Scullyangst
  • angst-ridden
  • angstless
  • angstiness
  • technoangst
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂enǵʰ- →