Where does “Galgenvogel” come from?

Galgenvogel (German) comes from German vogel, from Middle High German vogel, from Old High German fogal, from Proto-West Germanic fugl, from Proto-Germanic fuglaz, from Proto-Germanic fluglaz, from Proto-Germanic fleuganą, from Proto-Indo-European plewk- — to fly, flow, run.

Galgenvogel (German): good-for-nothing

Definitions

  1. good-for-nothing

Ancestry of “Galgenvogel”, step by step

Galgenvogel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German vogel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanvogela bird
2Middle High Germanvogelbird
3Old High Germanfogalbird
4Proto-West Germanicfuglbird
5Proto-Germanicfuglazbird
6Proto-Germanicfluglaz
7Proto-Germanicfleuganąto fly
8Proto-Indo-Europeanplewk-to fly, flow, run; to splash, to flap with hands
9Proto-Indo-Europeanplew-to fly, flow, run

via German Galgen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanGalgengallows
2Old High Germangalgogallows
3Frankishgalgōmeasuring rod, pole; gallows
4Proto-Germanicgalgôa rod, pole, stake; a beam, cross-beam, rafter; a...
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanǵʰAlgʰ-
Every word from Proto-Indo-European plew-Every word from Proto-Indo-European plewk-Every word from Proto-Germanic fleuganą