Where does “Leichenwagen” come from?

Leichenwagen (German) comes from German wägen, from Middle High German wāgen, from Middle High German wāge, from Middle Low German wāge, from Old Saxon wag, from Proto-West Germanic wāg, from Proto-Germanic wēgaz, from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- — to bring; to transport.

Leichenwagen (German): hearse

Definitions

  1. hearse

Ancestry of “Leichenwagen”, step by step

Leichenwagen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German wägen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanwägento weigh something
2Middle High Germanwāgen
3Middle High Germanwāgewave; scale
4Middle Low Germanwāgewave
5Old Saxonwagwave
6Proto-West Germanicwāgwave
7Proto-Germanicwēgazwave; sea
8Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵʰ-to bring; to transport

via German Leiche

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanLeichedead body, corpse
2Middle High Germanlīche
3Old High Germanlīhbody
4Proto-West Germaniclīkbody
5Proto-Germaniclīkąbody; corpse, dead body; leech-line, bolt-rope
6Proto-Indo-Europeanleyǵ-to bind, tie
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ-Every word from Proto-Germanic wēgazEvery word from Proto-West Germanic wāg
Leichenwagen — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer