Where does “Wanderwort” come from?

Wanderwort (German) comes from German wôrt, from Middle High German wort, from Old High German wort, from Proto-West Germanic word, from Proto-Germanic wurdą, from Proto-Indo-European werdʰo-, from Proto-Indo-European werh₁- — to speak, say.

Wanderwort (German): Wanderwort

Definitions

  1. Wanderwort

Ancestry of “Wanderwort”, step by step

Wanderwort traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German wôrt

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanwôrtplural word as an isolated unit
2Middle High Germanwortword; verb
3Old High Germanwortword; verb
4Proto-West Germanicwordword
5Proto-Germanicwurdąword
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwerdʰo-word
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwerh₁-to speak, say

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

Words derived from “Wanderwort”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European werh₁- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European werdʰo- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wurdą →