Where does “Ringverein” come from?

Ringverein (German) comes from German ring, from Old High German ring, from Proto-West Germanic hring, from Proto-Germanic hringaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)krengʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.

Ringverein (German): "ring clubs"; Mafia-like criminal organizations active from the 1890s to the 1950s, who identified themselves by means of signet rings

Definitions

  1. "ring clubs"; Mafia-like criminal organizations active from the 1890s to the 1950s, who identified themselves by means of signet rings

Ancestry of “Ringverein”, step by step

Ringverein traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German ring

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanringsingular imperative of ringen; first-person...
2Old High Germanringring object in the shape of a circle
3Proto-West Germanichringring, circle
4Proto-Germanichringazring, circle; curve; sound, ring
5Proto-Indo-European(s)krengʰ-to turn, bend
6Proto-Indo-European(s)ker-to cut off; to turn, bend
7Proto-Indo-Europeansek-to cut, cut off, sever

via German Verein

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanVereinassociation, club, society
2Middle High Germanvereine
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sek-Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)krengʰ-