Where does “Klappmesser” come from?
Klappmesser (German) comes from German messer, from German messen, from Middle High German mëȥȥen, from Old High German mëȥȥen, from Proto-Germanic *metan, from Proto-Germanic metaną, from Proto-Indo-European mēd-, from Proto-Indo-European med- — to measure; to give advice; healing.
Klappmesser (German): jack-knife
Definitions
- jack-knife
Ancestry of “Klappmesser”, step by step
Klappmesser traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German messer
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | messer | knife |
| 2 | German | messen | to measure; to compete; to measure; to be a given... |
| 3 | Middle High German | mëȥȥen | — |
| 4 | Old High German | mëȥȥen | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *metan | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | metaną | to measure |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mēd- | to measure |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | med- | to measure; to give advice; healing |