Where does “Massenvernichtungswaffe” come from?

Massenvernichtungswaffe (German) comes from German Vernichtung, from German vernichten, from Middle High German vernihten, from Middle High German nihten, from Middle High German niht, from Old High German niwiht, from Old High German nio, from Old High German io — vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning.

Massenvernichtungswaffe (German): weapon of mass destruction

Definitions

  1. weapon of mass destruction

Ancestry of “Massenvernichtungswaffe”, step by step

Massenvernichtungswaffe traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via German Vernichtung

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanVernichtungdestruction; annihilation, extinction
2Germanvernichtento destroy; to ruin; to wreck; to annihilate; to...
3Middle High Germanvernihten
4Middle High Germannihten
5Middle High Germannihtnot
6Old High Germanniwiht
7Old High Germannionever
8Old High Germanioalways
9Proto-West Germanicaiwlong time, age, eternity; law
10Proto-Germanicaiwazlong time, age, eternity
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂eyu-vitality; eternal; vital force, life, long life,...
12Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ey-vital force, life, age, eternity; day, morning

via German waffe

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanwaffeweapon, arm
2Middle High Germanwāfenweapon
3Old High Germanwāfanweapon
4Proto-West Germanicwāpnweapon
5Proto-Germanicwēpnąweapon
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwēbnom

via German Maße

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanMaßemass quantity of matter
2Latinmassamass, bulk; load, burden; dough
3Ancient Greekμᾶζαbarley-bread or cake
4Ancient Greekμάσσωto handle, work with my hands, knead; to wipe
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmh₂ǵyéti
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmeh₂ǵ-to knead, stroke
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ey-Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyu-Every word from Proto-Germanic aiwaz