Where does “Birkenwald” come from?

Birkenwald (German) comes from German wald, from Middle High German walt, from Old High German wald, from Proto-West Germanic walþu, from Proto-Germanic walþuz, from Proto-Indo-European wel- — to see.

Birkenwald (German): birch tree forest, birchwood

Definitions

  1. birch tree forest, birchwood

Ancestry of “Birkenwald”, step by step

Birkenwald traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German wald

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanwaldforest; woods; woodland
2Middle High Germanwalt—
3Old High Germanwaldforest
4Proto-West Germanicwalþuforest
5Proto-Germanicwalþuzforest
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwel-to see

via German birke

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanbirkebirch tree
2Middle High Germanbirke—
3Old High Germanbirkaa birch tree
4Proto-West Germanicbirkijābirch
5Proto-Germanicbirkijǭbirch
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰerHǵosbirch
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wel- →Every word from Proto-Germanic walþuz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic walþu →