Where does “Mottenkugel” come from?
Mottenkugel (German) comes from German kugel, from Proto-Germanic kuggilaz, from Proto-Germanic kuggǭ, from Proto-Indo-European gewgʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European gēw- — to bend, arch.
Mottenkugel (German): mothball
Ancestry of “Mottenkugel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | kugel | inflection of kugeln:
## first-person singular... |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | kuggilaz | knobbed instrument |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | kuggǭ | cog, swelling |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gewgʰ- | swelling, bow |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gēw- | to bend, arch |