Where does “Geistesgegenwart” come from?

Geistesgegenwart (German) comes from German geist, from Middle High German geist, from Old High German geist, from Proto-West Germanic gaist, from Proto-Germanic gaistaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeysd- — anger, agitation.

Geistesgegenwart (German): presence of mind

Definitions

  1. presence of mind

Ancestry of “Geistesgegenwart”, step by step

Geistesgegenwart traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German geist

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germangeistspirit
2Middle High Germangeist—
3Old High Germangeistspirit
4Proto-West Germanicgaistghost, spirit
5Proto-Germanicgaistazterror, fear; spirit, ghost; mind
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰeysd-anger, agitation

via German gegenwart

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germangegenwartthe present
2Middle High Germangegenwart—
3Old High Germangeginwartī—

Words derived from “Geistesgegenwart”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰeysd- →Every word from Proto-Germanic gaistaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic gaist →