Where does “Winterschlaf” come from?
Winterschlaf (German) comes from German Schlaf, from German slāf, from Middle High German slāf, from Old High German slāf, from Proto-Germanic slap-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)leh₂b- — to hang loosely, be weak; to be weak, limp,...
Winterschlaf (German): hibernation
Ancestry of “Winterschlaf”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Schlaf | sleep; temple |
| 2 | German | slāf | — |
| 3 | Middle High German | slāf | — |
| 4 | Old High German | slāf | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | slap- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)leh₂b- | to hang loosely, be weak; to be weak, limp,... |