Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Schwachmat” come from?

Schwachmat (German) comes from German schwach, from Middle High German swach, from Old High German swah, from Proto-West Germanic swak, from Proto-Indo-European swe(n)g-.

Schwachmat (German): weakling, moron, chicken

Definitions

  1. weakling, moron, chicken

Ancestry of “Schwachmat”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanschwachweak
2Middle High Germanswach—
3Old High Germanswah—
4Proto-West Germanicswakswinging; swaying; yielding easily; pliable; weak
5Proto-Indo-Europeanswe(n)g-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swe(n)g- →