Where does “Abwehrspiel” come from?

Abwehrspiel (German) comes 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, from Proto-Indo-European wēr-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

Abwehrspiel (German): the way that the defense plays during a game; the defensive game

Definitions

  1. the way that the defense plays during a game; the defensive game

Ancestry of “Abwehrspiel”, step by step

Abwehrspiel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German abwehren

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanabwehrento fend off; to refuse, to say no
2Germanwehrento fight; to defend
3Middle High Germanwëren
4Old High Germanweriento defend, protect
5Proto-West Germanicwaʀjanto clothe
6Proto-Germanicwarjanąto ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwēr-true
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

via German spiel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanspiela game instance or way of playing
2Middle High Germanspil
3Old High Germanspil
4Proto-West Germanicspildance; game, exercise
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer-Every word from Proto-Indo-European wēr-Every word from Proto-Germanic warjaną