Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Niederdeutsch” come from?

Niederdeutsch (German) comes from German Deutsch, from Old High German diutsch, from Old High German diutisc, from Proto-West Germanic þiudisk, from Proto-Germanic þiudiskaz, from Proto-Germanic þeudō, from Proto-Indo-European tewtéh₂, from Proto-Indo-European tewh₂- — to swell; to crowd; to be strong.

Niederdeutsch (German): Low German

Definitions

  1. Low German

Ancestry of “Niederdeutsch”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanDeutschGerman
2Old High Germandiutsch—
3Old High GermandiutiscAlternative form of diutisk; popular, vernacular;...
4Proto-West Germanicþiudiskof the people, popular, vernacular
5Proto-Germanicþiudiskazof the people, popular; of the tribe
6Proto-Germanicþeudōpeople, tribe
7Proto-Indo-Europeantewtéh₂people, tribe
8Proto-Indo-Europeantewh₂-to swell; to crowd; to be strong

Words derived from “Niederdeutsch”

  • mittelniederdeutsch
  • nordniederdeutsch
  • altniederdeutsch
  • nedertysk
  • nedertysk
Every word from Proto-Indo-European tewh₂- →