Where does “Leiterbahn” come from?
Leiterbahn (German) comes from German Leiter, from German leiten, from Middle High German leiten, from Old High German leiten, from Proto-West Germanic laidijan, from Proto-Germanic laidijaną, from Proto-Germanic līþaną, from Proto-Indo-European leyt- — to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave...
Leiterbahn (German): conductor
Definitions
- conductor
Ancestry of “Leiterbahn”, step by step
Leiterbahn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Leiter
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Leiter | ladder; agent noun of leiten |
| 2 | German | leiten | to lead; to manage; to conduct |
| 3 | Middle High German | leiten | — |
| 4 | Old High German | leiten | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | laidijan | to lead |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | laidijaną | to cause to go, to lead |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | līþaną | to go; pass; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | leyt- | to scratch; to leave, die; to go, go forth, die |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | lēy- | to leave, let; to want, desire; to let; leave... |
via German Bahn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Bahn | route, trail; rail transport; tram, train;... |
| 2 | Middle High German | ban | — |
| 3 | Old High German | bana | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *banu | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | banō | a battlefield; a clearing; open space; a cleared... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | banô | murderer |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰon-on- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰen- | to strike, slay, kill |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰon- | — |