Where does “Grundfrau” come from?
Grundfrau (German) comes from German frau, from Middle High German vrouwe, from Old High German frouwa, from Proto-West Germanic *frauwjā, from Proto-Germanic frawjǭ, from Proto-Indo-European proHwo-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
Grundfrau (German): feudal lady, landlady, lady of the manor
Definitions
- feudal lady, landlady, lady of the manor
Ancestry of “Grundfrau”, step by step
Grundfrau traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German frau
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | frau | one, they |
| 2 | Middle High German | vrouwe | woman, lady, madam |
| 3 | Old High German | frouwa | lady |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *frauwjā | lady, wife of a lord woman of high standing |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | frawjǭ | lady, wife of a lord |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | proHwo- | master, judge; right judge, master |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via German Grund
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Grund | ground, land; bottom; reason; motive |
| 2 | Middle High German | grunt | — |
| 3 | Old High German | grunt | ground |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | grundu | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | grunduz | ground, foundation |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰrem- | to be angry; to sound, bellow, growl, roar, be... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰer- | to rub; to stroke; to grind |