Where does “Katzenhai” come from?

Katzenhai (German) comes from German Hai, from Dutch haai, from Vietnamese hái, from English Hi, from English high, from Middle English heigh, from Old English hēah, from Old English hām — to be lying down; to settle.

Katzenhai (German): catshark

Definitions

  1. catshark

Ancestry of “Katzenhai”, step by step

Katzenhai traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Hai

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanHaishark
2DutchhaaiA shark, fish of the superorder Selachimorpha; A...
3Vietnameseháito pluck a plant or piece of fruit for later...
4EnglishHia short form of Hiram
5EnglishhighElevated, extending above a base or average...
6Middle Englishheighhigh; Alternative form of hey; Alternative form...
7Old Englishhēahhigh, tall, lofty, high-class, exalted, sublime,...
8Old Englishhāmhome; village, community; village, hamlet, manor,...
9Proto-West Germanichaimhome
10Proto-Germanichaimazhome; house; village
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱóymosof the home, belonging to the family; village,...
12Proto-Indo-Europeanḱey-to be lying down; to settle

via German katze

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germankatzehouse cat, Felis silvestris catus
2Middle High Germankatzecat
3Old High Germankazzacat
4Old High Germankatta
5Proto-Celtickattācat
6Proto-Germanic*kattǭfemale cat
7Latincattaa cat
8Latincattusa cat
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱey-