Where does “Menschenfresser” come from?
Menschenfresser (German) comes from German -fresser, from German Fresser, from German fressen, from Middle High German vrëȥȥen, from Old High German frëȥȥan, from Proto-Germanic *fraetan, from Proto-Germanic fraetaną, from Proto-Germanic etaną — to eat.
Menschenfresser (German): cannibal
Definitions
- cannibal
Ancestry of “Menschenfresser”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | -fresser | Suffix added to stems denoting a specific diet or way to eat. It corresponds to the suffix “-vore” |
| 2 | German | Fresser | agent noun of fressen; an animal that eats; A... |
| 3 | German | fressen | to eat; to feed on; to devour; to stuff oneself;... |
| 4 | Middle High German | vrëȥȥen | — |
| 5 | Old High German | frëȥȥan | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | *fraetan | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | fraetaną | to devour, eat up, consume |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | etaną | to eat |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁édti | to eat |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁ed- | to eat |