Where does “Harfenspiel” come from?
Harfenspiel (German) comes from German Harfe, from Middle High German harpfe, from Old High German harfa, from Proto-West Germanic harpā, from Proto-Germanic harpǭ, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kreb-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.
Harfenspiel (German): harp playing
Definitions
- harp playing
Ancestry of “Harfenspiel”, step by step
Harfenspiel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Harfe
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Harfe | harp |
| 2 | Middle High German | harpfe | — |
| 3 | Old High German | harfa | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | harpā | harp |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | harpǭ | harp |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kreb- | to turn; to touch; to turn, bend, shrink, rotate,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |