Where does “Hirschkäfer” come from?
Hirschkäfer (German) comes from German Hirsch, from Middle High German hirz, from Old High German hiruz, from Proto-West Germanic herut, from Proto-Germanic herutaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱerh₂- — head, top; horn.
Hirschkäfer (German): stag-beetle
Ancestry of “Hirschkäfer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Hirsch | deer |
| 2 | Middle High German | hirz | — |
| 3 | Old High German | hiruz | deer |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | herut | deer, stag |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | herutaz | deer, stag |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱerh₂- | head, top; horn |