Where does “Windpocken” come from?
Windpocken (German) comes from German wind, from Middle High German wint, from Old High German wint, from Proto-West Germanic wind, from Proto-Germanic windaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂wéh₁n̥ts, from Proto-Indo-European h₂wḗh₁ti, from Proto-Indo-European h₂weh₁- — to blow.
Windpocken (German): chickenpox
Ancestry of “Windpocken”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | wind | — |
| 2 | Middle High German | wint | — |
| 3 | Old High German | wint | wind |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wind | wind |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | windaz | wind |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wéh₁n̥ts | blowing; that which blows; the wind, air |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂wḗh₁ti | to blow |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂weh₁- | to blow |