Where does “Seifenkiste” come from?

Seifenkiste (German) comes from German Kiste, from Middle High German kiste, from Old High German kista, from Proto-Germanic *kistu, from Latin cista, from Ancient Greek κύστις, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kewH- — to cover, bedeck; cover.

Seifenkiste (German): soapbox

Definitions

  1. soapbox

Ancestry of “Seifenkiste”, step by step

Seifenkiste traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Kiste

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanKistechest, box; bed, sleeping furniture; old banger,...
2Middle High Germankiste
3Old High Germankista
4Proto-Germanic*kistu
5Latincistaa trunk, a chest, a casket; vocative singular of...
6Ancient Greekκύστιςbladder
7Proto-Indo-European(s)kewH-to cover, bedeck; cover

via German seife

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanseifesoap substance
2Middle High Germanseifesoap
3Old High Germanseifa
4Proto-West Germanicsaipāsoap
5Proto-Germanicsaipǭsoap
6Proto-Indo-Europeanseyb-to pour, leak, trickle; to pour out, trickle,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kewH-Every word from Ancient Greek κύστιςEvery word from Latin cista