Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Blau” come from?

Blau (German) comes from Middle High German blā, from Old High German blāo, from Proto-West Germanic blāu, from Proto-Germanic blēwaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰlēw- — yellow, blond, grey.

Blau (German): the colour blue; a particular tone of blue; a...

Definitions

  1. the colour blue; a particular tone of blue; a...

Ancestry of “Blau”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanblāblue
2Old High Germanblāoblue, dark, grey; blue; yellow
3Proto-West Germanicblāublue
4Proto-Germanicblēwazblue; a dark bluish or grey colour, black
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰlēw-yellow, blond, grey

Words derived from “Blau”

  • Mitternachtsblau
  • indigoblau
  • Molybdänblau
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰlēw- →