Where does “Machtgefälle” come from?

Machtgefälle (German) comes from German macht, from Middle High German maht, from Old High German maht, from Proto-West Germanic mahti, from Proto-Germanic mahtiz, from Proto-Germanic mahtuz, from Proto-Indo-European mógʰtis, from Proto-Indo-European meǵʰ- — to be able.

Machtgefälle (German): power gap, hierarchy situation where some people have higher power or authority

Definitions

  1. power gap, hierarchy situation where some people have higher power or authority

Ancestry of “Machtgefälle”, step by step

Machtgefälle traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German macht

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanmachtthird-person singular present of machen;...
2Middle High Germanmaht
3Old High Germanmahtmight
4Proto-West Germanicmahtimight, power
5Proto-Germanicmahtizpower, ability; strength, force
6Proto-Germanicmahtuzmight, power
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmógʰtis
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmeǵʰ-to be able

via German Gefälle

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanGefälledownwards slope; gradient
2Middle High Germangevelle
3Old High Germangifellicollapse, decline
Every word from Proto-Indo-European meǵʰ-Every word from Proto-Indo-European mógʰtisEvery word from Proto-Germanic mahtuz
Machtgefälle — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer