Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Gewalt” come from?

Gewalt (German) comes from Middle High German gewalt, from Old High German giwalt, from Proto-Germanic *wald, from Proto-Germanic waldą, from Proto-Indo-European waldʰ- — to be strong, be powerful, prevail, possess.

Gewalt (German): strong or violent force; violence; physical...

Definitions

  1. strong or violent force; violence; physical...

Ancestry of “Gewalt”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germangewaltstrength, power
2Old High Germangiwalt—
3Proto-Germanic*wald—
4Proto-Germanicwaldąmight, power, authority
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwaldʰ-to be strong, be powerful, prevail, possess

Words derived from “Gewalt”

  • гвалт
  • Gewalttäter
  • Gewalttäterin
  • Verfügungsgewalt
  • gewaltsam
  • gwałt
Every word from Proto-Indo-European waldʰ- →