Where does “eigen-” come from?
eigen- (English) comes from German eigen, from Middle High German eigen, from Old High German eigan, from Proto-West Germanic aigan, from Proto-Germanic *aiganą, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eh₂óyḱe, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyḱ- — to possess, to own.
Ancestry of “eigen-”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | eigen | own, peculiar or private to someone,... |
| 2 | Middle High German | eigen | — |
| 3 | Old High German | eigan | own; possession, property |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | aigan | to possess, to own, to have; own |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *aiganą | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eh₂óyḱe | to possess, to own |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyḱ- | to possess, to own |