Where does “Hühnerdieb” come from?

Hühnerdieb (German) comes from German huhn, from Middle High German huon, from Old High German huon, from Proto-West Germanic hōn, from Proto-Germanic hōną, from Proto-Germanic hanô, from Proto-Indo-European kan- — to sing; hemp.

Hühnerdieb (German): hen thief

Definitions

  1. hen thief

Ancestry of “Hühnerdieb”, step by step

Hühnerdieb traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German huhn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanhuhnchicken
2Middle High Germanhuonhen
3Old High Germanhuonchicken
4Proto-West Germanichōnhen, chicken
5Proto-Germanichōnąhen, chicken
6Proto-Germanichanôrooster, cock
7Proto-Indo-Europeankan-to sing; hemp

via German Dieb

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanDiebthief
2Middle High Germandiepthief
3Old High Germandiob—
4Proto-West Germanicþeubthief
5Proto-Germanicþeubazthief
6Proto-Indo-Europeantewpó-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kan- →