Where does “Postamt” come from?
Postamt (German) comes from German Post, from English post, from Middle French poste, from Italian posta, from Italian posto, from Latin positus, from Latin pōnō, from Proto-Italic poznō.
Postamt (German): post office, postal service
Definitions
- post office, postal service
Ancestry of “Postamt”, step by step
Postamt traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Post
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Post | post; post office; Obsolete form of Porst |
| 2 | English | post | A long dowel or plank protruding from the ground;... |
| 3 | Middle French | poste | — |
| 4 | Italian | posta | mail, post; post office; stakes |
| 5 | Italian | posto | place, spot |
| 6 | Latin | positus | placed; ordained |
| 7 | Latin | pōnō | to place; to put; to lay |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | poznō | — |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | pozinō | — |
| 10 | Proto-Italic | sinō | — |
via German amt
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | amt | agency; department; office state institution responsible for specified concerns |
| 2 | Middle High German | ambahte | — |
| 3 | Old High German | ambahti | position, office |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | ambahtaz | servant |
| 5 | Gaulish | ambaxtos | vassal, high-ranking servant |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | ambaxtos | servant |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eǵ- | to drive |