Where does “Herzbube” come from?
Herzbube (German) comes from German herz, from German -los, from Old Dutch -lōs, from Proto-West Germanic *-laus, from Proto-Germanic -lausaz, from Proto-Germanic lausaz, from Proto-Indo-European lewH- — louse.
Herzbube (German): jack of hearts, knave of hearts playing card
Definitions
- jack of hearts, knave of hearts playing card
Ancestry of “Herzbube”, step by step
Herzbube traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German herz
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | herz | singular imperative of herzen; first-person... |
| 2 | German | -los | -less |
| 3 | Old Dutch | -lōs | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *-laus | without, -less |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -lausaz | -less, lacking, devoid of |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | lausaz | loose, free; empty, devoid; false, untrue |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lewH- | louse |