Where does “Hinterzimmer” come from?

Hinterzimmer (German) comes from German Zimmer, from Middle High German zimber, from Old High German zimbar, from Proto-West Germanic *timr, from Proto-Germanic timrą, from Proto-Indo-European dem- — to build; to arrange, to put together.

Hinterzimmer (German): backroom

Definitions

  1. backroom

Ancestry of “Hinterzimmer”, step by step

Hinterzimmer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Zimmer

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanZimmerroom
2Middle High Germanzimber—
3Old High Germanzimbar—
4Proto-West Germanic*timr(act of) building
5Proto-Germanictimrąbuilding; timber
6Proto-Indo-Europeandem-to build; to arrange, to put together

via German hinter

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanhinterbehind, after; after; beyond
2Middle High Germanhinder—
3Old High Germanhinder—
4Proto-Germanichinderbehind, beyond; back, on that side of, behind

Words derived from “Hinterzimmer”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dem- →Every word from Proto-Germanic timrą →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *timr →