Where does “Kaufhaus” come from?
Kaufhaus (German) comes from German kaufen, from Old High German koufōn, from Proto-West Germanic *kaupōn, from Proto-Germanic kaupōną, from Proto-Germanic kaupô, from Latin caupo, from Proto-Indo-European kaup-.
Kaufhaus (German): department store
Ancestry of “Kaufhaus”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | kaufen | to buy, to purchase |
| 2 | Old High German | koufōn | to buy |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *kaupōn | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | kaupōną | to buy; trade |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | kaupô | innkeeper; merchant |
| 6 | Latin | caupo | Tradesman; Innkeeper, shopkeeper |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kaup- | — |