Where does “Lehnswesen” come from?

Lehnswesen (German) comes from German wēsen, from Middle High German wësen, from Old High German wesan, from Proto-West Germanic wesan, from Proto-Germanic *wesaną, from Proto-Indo-European wes- — to dress, clothe.

Lehnswesen (German): feudal system

Definitions

  1. feudal system

Ancestry of “Lehnswesen”, step by step

Lehnswesen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German wēsen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanwēsencreature, being
2Middle High Germanwësen—
3Old High Germanwesanto be, exist
4Proto-West Germanicwesanto be
5Proto-Germanic*wesaną—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwes-to dress, clothe

via German lehen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanlehenfeud or fief (estate granted to a vassal by a feudal lord)
2Proto-Germaniclaihnąthat which is lent, loan; fief
3Proto-Indo-Europeanleykʷ-to leave
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wes- →Every word from Proto-Germanic *wesaną →Every word from Proto-West Germanic wesan →
Lehnswesen — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer