Where does “Briefkastenfirma” come from?
Briefkastenfirma (German) comes from German Briefkasten, from German brief, from Middle High German brief, from Old High German briaf, from Latin breve, from Latin brevis, from Proto-Italic *breɣʷis, from Proto-Indo-European mréǵʰus — short.
Briefkastenfirma (German): shell company
Definitions
- shell company
Ancestry of “Briefkastenfirma”, step by step
Briefkastenfirma traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Briefkasten
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Briefkasten | mailbox, letterbox |
| 2 | German | brief | letter (written message) |
| 3 | Middle High German | brief | — |
| 4 | Old High German | briaf | — |
| 5 | Latin | breve | nominative neuter singular of brevis; accusative... |
| 6 | Latin | brevis | short, small, little, narrow; brief, short;... |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | *breɣʷis | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mréǵʰus | short; brief |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | mreǵʰ- | short |
via German Firma
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Firma | A company, a business; A firm, the name under... |
| 2 | Italian | firma | signature; third-person singular present... |
| 3 | Italian | firmare | to sign |
| 4 | Latin | firmō | to make firm, strengthen, harden, fortify |
| 5 | Latin | Firmus | strong, powerful |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | fermos | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer-mo-s | holding |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |