Where does “Nimmerwiedersehen” come from?

Nimmerwiedersehen (German) comes from German wieder, from Middle High German wider, from Old High German widar, from Proto-West Germanic wiþr, from Proto-Germanic wiþrą, from Proto-Indo-European wī-tero-, from Proto-Indo-European wi — apart, asunder; away from, against.

Nimmerwiedersehen (German): never getting together again; never seeing again; never an instance of seeing someone or each other again

Definitions

  1. never getting together again; never seeing again; never an instance of seeing someone or each other again

Ancestry of “Nimmerwiedersehen”, step by step

Nimmerwiedersehen traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via German wieder

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanwiederagain
2Middle High Germanwideropposite
3Old High Germanwidaragainst; ram
4Proto-West Germanicwiþrtoward, against
5Proto-Germanicwiþrątoward, against
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwī-tero-further apart
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwiapart, asunder; away from, against

via German sehen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germansehento see; to have sight
2Middle High Germansehen—
3Old High Germansehanto see, to look
4Proto-West Germanicsehwanto see
5Proto-Germanicsehwanąto see
6Proto-Indo-Europeansekʷ-to follow; to see; to say

via German nimmer

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germannimmerno more, no longer; never again; never, at no...
2Old Dutchniemer—
3Old High Germanniomēr—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wi →Every word from Proto-Indo-European wī-tero- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wiþrą →