Where does “Mutterlauge” come from?

Mutterlauge (German) comes from German Lauge, from Middle High German louge, from Old High German louga, from Proto-West Germanic *laugu, from Proto-Germanic laugō, from Proto-Indo-European lewh₃- — to wash.

Mutterlauge (German): mother liquor

Definitions

  1. mother liquor

Ancestry of “Mutterlauge”, step by step

Mutterlauge traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Lauge

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanLaugelye
2Middle High Germanlouge—
3Old High Germanlougalye
4Proto-West Germanic*laugu—
5Proto-Germaniclaugōbath, wash; soap, lye
6Proto-Indo-Europeanlewh₃-to wash

via German mutter

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanmuttermother
2Middle High Germanmuotermother
3Old High Germanmuotermother
4Old Frisianmōder—
5Proto-Germanicmōdērmother
6Proto-Indo-Europeanméh₂tērmother
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewh₃- →Every word from Proto-Germanic laugō →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *laugu →