Where does “Wirbelsturm” come from?
Wirbelsturm (German) comes from German Wirbel, from Middle High German wirbel, from Old High German wirbil, from Proto-Germanic hwirbilaz, from Proto-Germanic -ilaz, from Proto-Indo-European -lós — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.
Wirbelsturm (German): whirlwind
Ancestry of “Wirbelsturm”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Wirbel | whirl; whorl; vortex |
| 2 | Middle High German | wirbel | — |
| 3 | Old High German | wirbil | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | hwirbilaz | circle, ring, whirl |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -ilaz | agent suffix; diminutive suffix |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |