Where does “defense mechanism” come from?
defense mechanism (English) comes from German Abwehrmechanismus, from German Abwehr, from German abwehren, from German wehren, from Middle High German wëren, from Old High German werien, from Proto-West Germanic waʀjan, from Proto-Germanic warjaną — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.
defense mechanism (English): A psychological strategy used unconsciously by...
Definitions
- A psychological strategy used unconsciously by...
Ancestry of “defense mechanism”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Abwehrmechanismus | defense mechanism |
| 2 | German | Abwehr | defence: action to stop an attack; a method or... |
| 3 | German | abwehren | to fend off; to refuse, to say no |
| 4 | German | wehren | to fight; to defend |
| 5 | Middle High German | wëren | — |
| 6 | Old High German | werien | to defend, protect |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | waʀjan | to clothe |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | warjaną | to ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | wēr- | true |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | wer- | to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel |