Where does “Trittbrettfahrerei” come from?

Trittbrettfahrerei (German) comes from German Trittbrett, from German brett, from Middle High German bret, from Old High German bret, from Proto-West Germanic *bred, from Proto-Germanic bredą, from Proto-Germanic bʰredʰóm, from Proto-Indo-European bʰer-dʰ- — to bear, carry.

Trittbrettfahrerei (German): freeloading

Definitions

  1. freeloading

Ancestry of “Trittbrettfahrerei”, step by step

Trittbrettfahrerei traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Trittbrett

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanTrittbrettfootboard
2Germanbrettboard, plank
3Middle High Germanbreta board, a plank
4Old High Germanbret
5Proto-West Germanic*bred
6Proto-Germanicbredąboard, plank, shelf
7Proto-Germanicbʰredʰóm
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰer-dʰ-
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰer-to bear, carry

via German fahren

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanfahrento locomote forth in an accelerated speed; to go;...
2Middle High Germanvarnto fare, to go
3Old High Germanfaranto proceed
4Proto-Germanicfaran
5Proto-Germanicfaranąto go, to travel
6Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰer-