Where does “Haarwirbel” come from?

Haarwirbel (German) comes from German Wirbel, from Middle High German wirbel, from Old High German wirbil, from Proto-Germanic hwirbilaz, from Proto-Germanic -ilaz, from Proto-Indo-European -lós — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.

Haarwirbel (German): cowlick

Definitions

  1. cowlick

Ancestry of “Haarwirbel”, step by step

Haarwirbel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Wirbel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanWirbelwhirl; whorl; vortex
2Middle High Germanwirbel—
3Old High Germanwirbil—
4Proto-Germanichwirbilazcircle, ring, whirl
5Proto-Germanic-ilazagent suffix; diminutive suffix
6Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

via German haar

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanhaarsingular imperative of haaren; first-person...
2Old High Germanhārhair
3Proto-West Germanic*hārhair
4Proto-Germanichērąhair
5Proto-Indo-Europeankeres-rough hair, bristle
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lós →Every word from Proto-Germanic -ilaz →Every word from Proto-Germanic hwirbilaz →