Where does “Weichheitszeichen” come from?
Weichheitszeichen (German) comes from German Weichheit, from German weich, from Middle High German weich, from Old High German weih, from Proto-West Germanic waikw, from Proto-Germanic waikwaz, from Proto-Indo-European weyḱ-, from Proto-Indo-European wey- — to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;...
Weichheitszeichen (German): soft sign, the Russian sign ь
Definitions
- soft sign, the Russian sign ь
Ancestry of “Weichheitszeichen”, step by step
Weichheitszeichen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Weichheit
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Weichheit | silkiness, softness, gentleness |
| 2 | German | weich | soft |
| 3 | Middle High German | weich | — |
| 4 | Old High German | weih | soft |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | waikw | weak, soft, pliable |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | waikwaz | weak, soft, pliable |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | weyḱ- | to enter in; to settle; settlement |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | wey- | to wither; fade; to move, go ahead; to be strong;... |