Where does “U-Bahn” come from?
U-Bahn (German) comes from German Untergrundbahn, from German Bahn, from Middle High German ban, from Old High German bana, from Proto-West Germanic *banu, from Proto-Germanic banō, from Proto-Germanic banô, from Proto-Indo-European gʷʰon-on-.
U-Bahn (German): An underground railway, subway
Definitions
- An underground railway, subway
Ancestry of “U-Bahn”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Untergrundbahn | underground railway |
| 2 | German | Bahn | route, trail; rail transport; tram, train;... |
| 3 | Middle High German | ban | — |
| 4 | Old High German | bana | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *banu | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | banō | a battlefield; a clearing; open space; a cleared... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | banô | murderer |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰon-on- | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰen- | to strike, slay, kill |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰon- | — |