Where does “Vater” come from?
Vater (German) comes from Middle High German vater, from Old High German fater, from Proto-West Germanic fader, from Proto-Germanic fadēr, from Proto-Indo-European ph₂tḗr, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- — to protect; to shepherd.
Vater (German): father
Ancestry of “Vater”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | vater | — |
| 2 | Old High German | fater | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | fader | father |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | fadēr | father |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ph₂tḗr | father |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂- | to protect; to shepherd |
Words derived from “Vater”