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
Ancestry of “Hinterzimmer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Zimmer | room |
| 2 | Middle High German | zimber | — |
| 3 | Old High German | zimbar | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *timr | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | timrą | building; timber |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dem- | to build; to arrange, to put together |