Where does “Schlangengrube” come from?

Schlangengrube (German) comes from German Schlange, from Middle High German slange, from Old High German slango, from Proto-Germanic slangô, from Proto-Indo-European slenk-, from Proto-Indo-European sel-, from Proto-Indo-European ser- — to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together.

Schlangengrube (German): snake pit

Definitions

  1. snake pit

Ancestry of “Schlangengrube”, step by step

Schlangengrube traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Schlange

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanSchlangesnake
2Middle High Germanslangesnake
3Old High Germanslangosnake
4Proto-Germanicslangôsnake
5Proto-Indo-Europeanslenk-to turn; wind; twist; to turn, to twist, to wind;...
6Proto-Indo-Europeansel-dwelling; piece of wood; beam, post, balk, board,...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanser-to flow; to guard; to bind, to tie together

via German Grube

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanGrubepit; mine
2Middle High Germangruobe
3Middle High Germangruoba
4Proto-Germanicgrōbōhole, ditch, pit
5Proto-Germanicgrabanąto dig; to engrave, scratch
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrābʰ-to dig, scratch, scrape
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ser-Every word from Proto-Indo-European sel-Every word from Proto-Indo-European slenk-