Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Meerschwein” come from?

Meerschwein (German) comes from Middle High German merswīn, from Old High German meriswīn, from Proto-West Germanic mariswīn, from Proto-Germanic mariswīną, from Proto-Germanic swīną, from Proto-Indo-European suH-, from Proto-Indo-European sewH-, from Proto-Indo-European sew- — to press out, extract; juice; liquid, rain; to...

Meerschwein (German): porpoise; guinea pig

Definitions

  1. porpoise; guinea pig

Ancestry of “Meerschwein”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanmerswīn—
2Old High Germanmeriswīn—
3Proto-West Germanicmariswīnmereswine
4Proto-Germanicmariswīnąmereswine
5Proto-Germanicswīnąswine, pig
6Proto-Indo-EuropeansuH-pig, hog, swine
7Proto-Indo-EuropeansewH-to bear; to give birth
8Proto-Indo-Europeansew-to press out, extract; juice; liquid, rain; to...

Words derived from “Meerschwein”

  • marsvin
  • marsvin
  • marsvin
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sew- →