Where does “Stacheldraht” come from?
Stacheldraht (German) comes from German draht, from Middle High German drāt, from Old High German drāt, from Proto-Germanic þrēduz, from Proto-Indo-European treh₁-tu-, from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- — to rub, turn; to drill, pierce.
Stacheldraht (German): barbed wire
Ancestry of “Stacheldraht”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | draht | — |
| 2 | Middle High German | drāt | wire, thread |
| 3 | Old High German | drāt | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | þrēduz | thread, twisted fibre |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | treh₁-tu- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |