Where does “Staffelschwimmen” come from?

Staffelschwimmen (German) comes from German Schwimmen, from Middle High German swimmen, from Old High German swimman, from Proto-West Germanic swimman, from Proto-Germanic swimmaną, from Proto-Indo-European swem(bʰ)- — to bend, turn, swing; to be unsteady, move, swim.

Staffelschwimmen (German): relay swimming

Definitions

  1. relay swimming

Ancestry of “Staffelschwimmen”, step by step

Staffelschwimmen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Schwimmen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanSchwimmengerund of schwimmen; swim, the act of swimming
2Middle High Germanswimmento swim
3Old High Germanswimman—
4Proto-West Germanicswimmanto swim
5Proto-Germanicswimmanąto be unsteady; to swim; float
6Proto-Indo-Europeanswem(bʰ)-to bend, turn, swing; to be unsteady, move, swim

via German Staffel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanStaffelseason; relay; squadron
2Proto-Germanicstapulazpillar, post; basis, foundation
3Proto-Indo-Europeanstebʰ‑to stand still
Every word from Proto-Indo-European swem(bʰ)- →Every word from Proto-Germanic swimmaną →Every word from Proto-West Germanic swimman →