Where does “Meisterdieb” come from?

Meisterdieb (German) comes from German meister, from Middle High German meister, from Old High German meistar, from Vulgar Latin maester, from Latin magister, from Proto-Italic magisteros, from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂isteros, from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s — big, great.

Meisterdieb (German): master thief

Definitions

  1. master thief

Ancestry of “Meisterdieb”, step by step

Meisterdieb traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German meister

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanmeistermaster
2Middle High Germanmeistermaster
3Old High Germanmeistar—
4Vulgar Latinmaester—
5Latinmagisterteacher; master; a title of the Middle Ages,...
6Proto-Italicmagisterosbigger, greater
7Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂isteros—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanméǵh₂sbig, great

via German Dieb

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanDiebthief
2Middle High Germandiepthief
3Old High Germandiob—
4Proto-West Germanicþeubthief
5Proto-Germanicþeubazthief
6Proto-Indo-Europeantewpó-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂s →Every word from Proto-Indo-European méǵh₂isteros →Every word from Proto-Italic magisteros →