Where does “Rettungswagen” come from?

Rettungswagen (German) comes from German wägen, from Middle High German wāgen, from Middle High German wāge, from Middle Low German wāge, from Old Saxon wag, from Proto-West Germanic wāg, from Proto-Germanic wēgaz, from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- — to bring; to transport.

Rettungswagen (German): ambulance

Definitions

  1. ambulance

Ancestry of “Rettungswagen”, step by step

Rettungswagen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German wägen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanwägento weigh something
2Middle High Germanwāgen
3Middle High Germanwāgewave; scale
4Middle Low Germanwāgewave
5Old Saxonwagwave
6Proto-West Germanicwāgwave
7Proto-Germanicwēgazwave; sea
8Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵʰ-to bring; to transport

via German Rettung

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanRettungrescue; rescue service; emergency service;...
2Germanrettento save, to rescue
3Middle High Germanretten
4Old High Germanretten
5Proto-West Germanichraddjanto save, to rescue
6Proto-Germanichradjanąto loosen; set free; deliver; rescue; save
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱret-to be strong
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ-Every word from Proto-Germanic wēgazEvery word from Proto-West Germanic wāg