Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “-wesen” come from?

-wesen (German) comes from Old High German wesan, from Proto-West Germanic wesan, from Proto-Germanic *wesaną, from Proto-Indo-European wes- — to dress, clothe.

-wesen (German): area of human activity

Definitions

  1. area of human activity

Ancestry of “-wesen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germanwesanto be, exist
2Proto-West Germanicwesanto be
3Proto-Germanic*wesaną—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanwes-to dress, clothe

Words derived from “-wesen”

  • Bauwesen
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wes- →