Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ombudsman” come from?

Ombudsman comes from Swedish ombudsman, derived from Swedish man and Old Swedish maþer, both meaning "man," ultimately from Old Norse maðr, tracing back to Proto-Indo-European men- and bʰewdʰ-.

ombudsman (English): An appointed official whose duty is to...

Definitions

  1. An appointed official whose duty is to...

Ancestry of “ombudsman”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishombudsmanombudsman
2Old Norseumboðsmaðrcommissary, steward
3Old Norseumboðcommission
4Old Norseumabout, concerning; round, past, beyond; over,...
5Proto-Germanicumbiaround, about
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂m̥bʰiaround, on either side of, about; in exchange...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂n̥tbʰi—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntsforehead; front
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ent-face; forehead; front
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

Words derived from “ombudsman”

  • ombud
  • ombudsmanship
  • ombudsmanry
  • омбудсмен
  • ombudsman
  • ombudsman
  • ომბუდსმენი
  • ombudsman
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- →