Where does “Hexenverfolgung” come from?

Hexenverfolgung (German) comes from German Verfolgung, from German verfolgen, from German folgēn, from Middle High German volgen, from Old High German folgēn, from Proto-West Germanic folgēn, from Proto-Germanic fulgāną, from Proto-Germanic fullaz — to fill.

Hexenverfolgung (German): witch-hunt

Definitions

  1. witch-hunt

Ancestry of “Hexenverfolgung”, step by step

Hexenverfolgung traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Verfolgung

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanVerfolgungpersecution; pursuit, pursuance; tracking,...
2Germanverfolgento pursue; to persecute; to trace
3Germanfolgēnto follow on the same path or in a sequence
4Middle High Germanvolgen
5Old High Germanfolgēnto follow
6Proto-West Germanicfolgēnto follow
7Proto-Germanicfulgānąto follow
8Proto-Germanicfullazfull; the whole, the entire
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpl̥h₁nósfull
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpleh₁-to fill

via German hexe

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanhexeinflection of hexen: ## first-person singular...
2Middle High Germanhecse
3Old High Germanhagazussawitch
4Proto-Germanichagatusjōwitch
5Proto-Germanichagazabled, capable; suitable, comfortable
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱak-branch, pole; branch, stick; to be able, help
7Proto-Indo-Europeankek- / ḱek- / kekʰ- / ḱekʰ-
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁-Every word from Proto-Indo-European pl̥h₁nósEvery word from Proto-Germanic fullaz