Where does “Halbwahrheit” come from?
Halbwahrheit (German) comes from German Wahrheit, from Middle High German wārheit, from Old High German wārheit, from Proto-West Germanic wārahaidu, from Proto-West Germanic wār, from Proto-Germanic wēraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.
Halbwahrheit (German): half-truth
Ancestry of “Halbwahrheit”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Wahrheit | truth |
| 2 | Middle High German | wārheit | — |
| 3 | Old High German | wārheit | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wārahaidu | truth, verity, veracity |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | wār | true, reliable |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | wēraz | true; reliable; friendly; kind |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |