Where does “Mädchenfänger” come from?
Mädchenfänger (German) comes from German Mädchen, from German Magd, from Middle High German maget, from Old High German magad, from Proto-West Germanic magaþ, from Proto-Germanic magaþs, from Proto-Indo-European mogʰus — boy; young person; boy-servant?; young person.
Mädchenfänger (German): Chinese finger trap
Definitions
- Chinese finger trap
Ancestry of “Mädchenfänger”, step by step
Mädchenfänger traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Mädchen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Mädchen | girl; maiden |
| 2 | German | Magd | maid; female servant, especially on a farm; girl;... |
| 3 | Middle High German | maget | virgin |
| 4 | Old High German | magad | maiden |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | magaþ | girl |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | magaþs | maiden, girl; virgin |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mogʰus | boy; young person; boy-servant?; young person |
via German Fänger
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Fänger | agent noun of fangen |