Where does “Wichtel” come from?

Wichtel (German) comes from German wicht, from Middle Low German wicht, from Old Saxon wiht, from Proto-West Germanic wihti, from Proto-Germanic wihtiz, from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- — to bring; to transport.

Wichtel (German): A gnome, dwarf small industrious creature, often looking like an old man

Definitions

  1. A gnome, dwarf small industrious creature, often looking like an old man

Ancestry of “Wichtel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanwichtsecond-person plural preterite of weichen
2Middle Low Germanwicht—
3Old Saxonwihtcreature, person, thing, being
4Proto-West Germanicwihtithing, creature; weight
5Proto-Germanicwihtizessence, being; thing, creature; weight
6Proto-Indo-Europeanweǵʰ-to bring; to transport
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic wihtiz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic wihti →