Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Maiglöckchen” come from?

Maiglöckchen (German) comes from German Glöckchen, from German glocke, from Middle High German glocke, from Old High German klocca, from Proto-West Germanic *klokkā, from Medieval Latin clocca, from Old Irish cloc, from Proto-Celtic klokkos.

Maiglöckchen (German): lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis

Definitions

  1. lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis

Ancestry of “Maiglöckchen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanGlöckchenDiminutive of Glocke; bell; little bell
2Germanglocke—
3Middle High Germanglocke—
4Old High Germankloccabell; clock
5Proto-West Germanic*klokkā—
6Medieval Latincloccabell; travelers' cape, literally “a bell”, so...
7Old Irishclocbell; clock
8Proto-Celticklokkosbell
9Proto-Indo-Europeanklēg-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European klēg- →