Where does “Bärtierchen” come from?
Bärtierchen (German) comes from German Tierchen, from German Tier, from Middle High German tier, from Old High German tior, from Proto-West Germanic deuʀ, from Proto-Germanic deuzą, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewsóm, from Proto-Indo-European dʰéws — to breathe; breath; spirit, soul > creature.
Bärtierchen (German): tardigrade, water bear
Definitions
- tardigrade, water bear
Ancestry of “Bärtierchen”, step by step
Bärtierchen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Tierchen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Tierchen | little animal or creature |
| 2 | German | Tier | animal; A person who has a quality thought of as... |
| 3 | Middle High German | tier | — |
| 4 | Old High German | tior | animal |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | deuʀ | animal, beast |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | deuzą | animal, beast |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewsóm | living thing |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰéws | breath |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰwes- | to breathe; breath; spirit, soul > creature |