Where does “Autobahn” come from?
Autobahn (German) comes from German Auto, from German automobil, from Spanish automóvil, from Russian автомоби́ль, from French automobile, from French auto-, from Ancient Greek αὐτο-, from Ancient Greek αὐτός — Postpositional intensifying particle: indeed, at any rate, in fact.
Autobahn (German): A class of road built to freeway standards,...
Definitions
- A class of road built to freeway standards,...
Ancestry of “Autobahn”, step by step
Autobahn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Auto
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Auto | car |
| 2 | German | automobil | automobile |
| 3 | Spanish | automóvil | automobile |
| 4 | Russian | автомоби́ль | car, automobile, motorcar |
| 5 | French | automobile | automotive; automobile |
| 6 | French | auto- | auto- regarding oneself |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | αὐτο- | self- |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | αὐτός | αὐτή f, αὐτό n; "first/second declension";... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ew | away from, off; again |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰe | Postpositional intensifying particle: indeed, at any rate, in fact |
via German Bahn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Bahn | route, trail; rail transport; tram, train;... |
| 2 | Middle High German | ban | — |
| 3 | Old High German | bana | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *banu | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | banō | a battlefield; a clearing; open space; a cleared... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | banô | murderer |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰon-on- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰen- | to strike, slay, kill |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰon- | — |