Where does “Wanderspinne” come from?

Wanderspinne (German) comes from German wandern, from Middle High German wandern, from Old High German wantaron, from Proto-West Germanic *wandarōn — to waver, change, fluctuate.

Wanderspinne (German): wandering spider

Definitions

  1. wandering spider

Ancestry of “Wanderspinne”, step by step

Wanderspinne traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German wandern

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanwandernto hike; to wander, to migrate, to move...
2Middle High Germanwandern—
3Old High Germanwantaronwantarōn
4Proto-West Germanic*wandarōnto waver, change, fluctuate

via German spinne

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanspinnefirst-person singular indicative present of...
2Middle High Germanspinne—
3Old High Germanspinna—
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *wandarōn →Every word from Old High German wantaron →Every word from Middle High German wandern →