Where does “Modalverb” come from?
Modalverb (German) comes from German Verb, from Latin verbum, from Ancient Greek λόγος, from Ancient Greek λέγω, from Proto-Indo-European leǵ- — to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to...
Modalverb (German): modal verb, modal auxiliary
Definitions
- modal verb, modal auxiliary
Ancestry of “Modalverb”, step by step
Modalverb traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Verb
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Verb | verb |
| 2 | Latin | verbum | word; proverb, saying; verb |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | λόγος | That which is said: word, sentence, speech,... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | λέγω | I put in order, arrange, gather; I choose, count,... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | leǵ- | to gather, collect, with derivatives meaning to... |
via German modal
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | modal | modal |