Where does “Putzmittel” come from?
Putzmittel (German) comes from German mittel, from Middle High German mittel, from Old High German mittil, from Proto-Germanic midlą, from Proto-Germanic midjō, from Proto-Indo-European médʰyos, from Proto-Indo-European medʰi-, from Proto-Indo-European me — in the middle of, near, by, around, with.
Putzmittel (German): cleaning agent
Definitions
- cleaning agent
Ancestry of “Putzmittel”, step by step
Putzmittel traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German mittel
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | mittel | middle, in the middle; average, middling |
| 2 | Middle High German | mittel | — |
| 3 | Old High German | mittil | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | midlą | middle |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | midjō | middle, midst |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | médʰyos | middle |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | medʰi- | with, among; with, along |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | me | in the middle of, near, by, around, with |
via German putzen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | putzen | to clean, especially by rubbing with something... |
| 2 | Middle High German | butze | lump, piece, stump |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | buttaz | cut off; chopped; stumpy; end; piece |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰudʰnós | bottom |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰudʰmḗn | bottom |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewbʰ- | deep |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |