Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Waschmittel” come from?

Waschmittel (German) comes from German mittel, from Middle High German mittel, from Old High German mittil, from Proto-Germanic midlą, from Proto-Germanic midjō, from Proto-Indo-European médʰyos, from Proto-Indo-European medʰi-, from Proto-Indo-European me — in the middle of, near, by, around, with.

Waschmittel (German): laundry detergent

Definitions

  1. laundry detergent

Ancestry of “Waschmittel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanmittelmiddle, in the middle; average, middling
2Middle High Germanmittel—
3Old High Germanmittil—
4Proto-Germanicmidląmiddle
5Proto-Germanicmidjōmiddle, midst
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmédʰyosmiddle
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmedʰi-with, among; with, along
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmein the middle of, near, by, around, with

Words derived from “Waschmittel”

  • Buntwaschmittel
  • Waschmittelindustrie
  • Vollwaschmittel
  • Haarwaschmittel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European me →