Where does “Bleichmittel” come from?

Bleichmittel (German) comes from German bleichen, from Middle High German bleichen, from Old High German bleihhen, from Proto-West Germanic *blaikijan, from Proto-Germanic blaikijaną, from Proto-Germanic blaikaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰloyǵ-os, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleyǵ- — to shine.

Bleichmittel (German): bleach; whitener

Definitions

  1. bleach; whitener

Ancestry of “Bleichmittel”, step by step

Bleichmittel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German bleichen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanbleichento bleach; to fade, to lose colour
2Middle High Germanbleichen
3Old High Germanbleihhen
4Proto-West Germanic*blaikijanto bleach, make pale, whiten
5Proto-Germanicblaikijanąto bleach, to make pale, to whiten
6Proto-Germanicblaikazpale, white
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰloyǵ-os
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleyǵ-to shine

via German mittel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanmittelmiddle, in the middle; average, middling
2Middle High Germanmittel
3Old High Germanmittil
4Proto-Germanicmidląmiddle
5Proto-Germanicmidjōmiddle, midst
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmédʰyosmiddle
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmedʰi-with, among; with, along
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmein the middle of, near, by, around, with
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰleyǵ-Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰloyǵ-osEvery word from Proto-Germanic blaikaz