Where does “Untertreibung” come from?
Untertreibung (German) comes from German untertreiben, from German treiben, from Middle High German trīben, from Old High German drīvan, from Proto-West Germanic drīban, from Proto-Germanic drībaną, from Proto-Indo-European dʰreybʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European dʰer- — to support; to hold.
Untertreibung (German): understatement, trivialization
Definitions
- understatement, trivialization
Ancestry of “Untertreibung”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | untertreiben | to understate; to trivialize |
| 2 | German | treiben | to drive (e.g. livestock); to propel; to force |
| 3 | Middle High German | trīben | — |
| 4 | Old High German | drīvan | — |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | drīban | to drive, to push, to compel to go |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | drībaną | to drive, push, compel to go |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰreybʰ- | to drive, push |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰer- | to support; to hold |