Where does “Seelenverkäufer” come from?

Seelenverkäufer (German) comes from German Verkäufer, from German verkaufen, from German ver-, from Middle High German ver-, from Proto-Germanic fra-, from Proto-Indo-European pro-, from Proto-Indo-European por-, from Proto-Indo-European per- — passed , crossed.

Seelenverkäufer (German): seller of souls; an unseaworthy boat or ship; a...

Definitions

  1. seller of souls; an unseaworthy boat or ship; a...

Ancestry of “Seelenverkäufer”, step by step

Seelenverkäufer traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Verkäufer

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanVerkäuferagent noun of verkaufen
2Germanverkaufento sell
3Germanver-Inseparable verbal prefix for-; Inseparable...
4Middle High Germanver-
5Proto-Germanicfra-off, away; completely, fully, up
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpro-toward, forward
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpor-to give birth; forward, through; going, passage
8Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

via German seele

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanseelesoul
2Middle High Germansēlesoul
3Old High Germansēlasoul
4Proto-West Germanicsaiwalusoul
5Proto-Germanicsaiwalōsoul, life force
6Proto-Germanicsaiwizsea, ocean
7Proto-Germanicsīhwanąto filter
8Proto-Indo-Europeanseykʷ-to moisten; to filter
9Proto-Indo-Europeansey-to be wet; dribble; run; to stretch one's arm;...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós