Where does “Haupttäter” come from?

Haupttäter (German) comes from German Täter, from German Missetäter, from German missetāt, from Middle High German missetāt, from Old High German mistāt, from Proto-Germanic missadēdiz, from Proto-Germanic dēdiz, from Proto-Indo-European dʰéh₁tis — to do, put, place.

Haupttäter (German): a perpetrator, as opposed to an instigator or an accomplice

Definitions

  1. a perpetrator, as opposed to an instigator or an accomplice

Ancestry of “Haupttäter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanTäterdoer; "evildoer"; delinquent, offender
2GermanMissetätermalefactor
3Germanmissetātiniquity, misdeed evil, sinful, dishonorable deed
4Middle High Germanmissetāt
5Old High Germanmistāt
6Proto-Germanicmissadēdizmisdeed, wrongful act
7Proto-Germanicdēdizdeed, act; doing, able to do, active
8Proto-Indo-Europeandʰéh₁tisact of putting, placement
9Proto-Indo-Europeandʰeh₁-to do, put, place
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁-Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰéh₁tisEvery word from Proto-Germanic dēdiz
Haupttäter — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer