Where does “Maschinenpistole” come from?
Maschinenpistole (German) comes from German Maschine, from French machine, from Middle French machine, from Latin māchina, from Ancient Greek μαχανά, from Ancient Greek μηχανή, from Ancient Greek μῆχος, from Proto-Indo-European meǵʰ- — to be able.
Maschinenpistole (German): submachine gun
Definitions
- submachine gun
Ancestry of “Maschinenpistole”, step by step
Maschinenpistole traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Maschine
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Maschine | machine; engine; airplane |
| 2 | French | machine | machine, device; machine |
| 3 | Middle French | machine | machine; device |
| 4 | Latin | māchina | contrivance |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | μαχανά | Doric form of μηχᾰνή |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | μηχανή | contrivance, machine, device, gear; way, means |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | μῆχος | means, expedient, remedy |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | meǵʰ- | to be able |
via German Pistole
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Pistole | pistol, gun; gun |
| 2 | Middle French | pistole | pistol |
| 3 | Middle High German | pitschal | — |
| 4 | Czech | píšťala | whistle |
| 5 | Old Czech | píščala | whistle device used to make a whistling sound |
| 6 | Proto-Slavic | piščalь | pipe; shinbone |
| 7 | Proto-Slavic | piskati | to squeak, to whistle |
| 8 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | pīṣk- | — |