Where does “Hof halten” come from?

Hof halten (German) comes from German halten, from English halt, from Middle English halt, from Old English healt, from Proto-West Germanic halt, from Proto-Germanic haltaz, from Proto-Indo-European kol-d-, from Proto-Indo-European kel- — to hit; beat; to pierce, to stab; goblet.

Hof halten (German): to hold court

Definitions

  1. to hold court

Ancestry of “Hof halten”, step by step

Hof halten traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German halten

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanhaltento hold; to stop; to halt; to hold back; to...
2EnglishhaltTo limp; move with a limping gait; To stand in...
3Middle EnglishhaltLimping, lame, crippled
4Old Englishhealtlame, limping
5Proto-West Germanichaltlame, halt
6Proto-Germanichaltazlame, halt
7Proto-Indo-Europeankol-d-
8Proto-Indo-Europeankel-to hit; beat; to pierce, to stab; goblet

via German hof

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanhofyard, court, courtyard open area by a house or enclosed by houses
2Middle High Germanhoffarm; court
3Old High Germanhof
4Proto-Germanic*hof
5Proto-Germanichufąhill, elevated place; house, hall, estate
6Proto-Indo-Europeankeup-to arch, bend, buckle; a hollow
7Proto-Indo-Europeankeu-bend; vault, hole; to shine; light; bright
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kel-