Where does “Ludwig” come from?
Ludwig (German) comes from Middle High German Ludewig, from Old High German Ludhuwīg, from Old High German Hlūtwīg, from Proto-West Germanic Hlūdawīg, from Proto-West Germanic hlūd, from Proto-Germanic hlūdaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱlewtos, from Proto-Indo-European ḱlew- — to cover; to incline.
Ancestry of “Ludwig”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | Ludewig | — |
| 2 | Old High German | Ludhuwīg | — |
| 3 | Old High German | Hlūtwīg | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | Hlūdawīg | meaning famous in battle |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | hlūd | loud; sound |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hlūdaz | loud; famous |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱlewtos | heard, famous |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱlew- | to hear |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |