Where does “Wünschelrute” come from?

Wünschelrute (German) comes from German Wünsch, from Middle High German wunsch, from Old High German wunsc, from Proto-Germanic wunskō, from Proto-Indo-European wenh₁- — to love.

Wünschelrute (German): divining rod (a staff used to find subterranean resources, such as water or metals, by divination)

Definitions

  1. divining rod (a staff used to find subterranean resources, such as water or metals, by divination)

Ancestry of “Wünschelrute”, step by step

Wünschelrute traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Wünsch

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanWünschAlternative form of Wunsch; wish; Alternative...
2Middle High Germanwunsch—
3Old High Germanwunsc—
4Proto-Germanicwunskōwish, desire
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwenh₁-to love

via German rūte

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanrūterod
2Middle High Germanruote—
3Old High Germanruotarod
4Proto-Germanicrōdōrod, pole
5Proto-Indo-Europeanrōt-—

Words derived from “Wünschelrute”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European wenh₁- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wunskō →Every word from Old High German wunsc →