Where does “Meerschweinchen” come from?
Meerschweinchen (German) comes from German schwein, from Middle High German swin, from Old High German swīn, from Proto-West Germanic swīn, 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...
Meerschweinchen (German): guinea pig, cavy
Definitions
- guinea pig, cavy
Ancestry of “Meerschweinchen”, step by step
Meerschweinchen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German schwein
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | schwein | swine, pig |
| 2 | Middle High German | swin | swine, pig |
| 3 | Old High German | swīn | swine, pig |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | swīn | pig, swine |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | swīną | swine, pig |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | suH- | pig, hog, swine |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sewH- | to bear; to give birth |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sew- | to press out, extract; juice; liquid, rain; to... |