Where does “Höhlenmensch” come from?

Höhlenmensch (German) comes from German Höhle, from Middle High German hüle, from Old High German hulī, from Old High German hol, from Proto-West Germanic hol, from Proto-Germanic hulą, from Proto-Germanic hulaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- — to cover; to incline.

Höhlenmensch (German): caveman

Definitions

  1. caveman

Ancestry of “Höhlenmensch”, step by step

Höhlenmensch traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Höhle

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanHöhlecave; cavity
2Middle High Germanhüle—
3Old High Germanhulī—
4Old High Germanholhollow
5Proto-West Germanicholhollow; hole
6Proto-Germanichuląa hollow; depression; hole
7Proto-Germanichulazhollow
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱel-to cover; to incline

via German mensch

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanmenschone, they
2Middle High Germanmensche—
3Old High Germanmenniskoa man; a human; a human being
4Proto-West Germanic*mannisk—
5Proto-Germanicmanniskazhuman
6Proto-Germanic*mann-—
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmen-to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱel- →Every word from Proto-Germanic hulaz →Every word from Proto-Germanic hulą →