Where does “Wirbeltier” come from?

Wirbeltier (German) comes from German Tier, from Middle High German tier, from Old High German tior, from Proto-West Germanic deuʀ, from Proto-Germanic deuzą, from Proto-Indo-European dʰewsóm, from Proto-Indo-European dʰéws, from Proto-Indo-European dʰwes- — to breathe; breath; spirit, soul > creature.

Wirbeltier (German): vertebrate

Definitions

  1. vertebrate

Ancestry of “Wirbeltier”, step by step

Wirbeltier traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Tier

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanTieranimal; A person who has a quality thought of as...
2Middle High Germantier
3Old High Germantioranimal
4Proto-West Germanicdeuʀanimal, beast
5Proto-Germanicdeuząanimal, beast
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewsómliving thing
7Proto-Indo-Europeandʰéwsbreath
8Proto-Indo-Europeandʰwes-to breathe; breath; spirit, soul > creature

via German Wirbel

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanWirbelwhirl; whorl; vortex
2Middle High Germanwirbel
3Old High Germanwirbil
4Proto-Germanichwirbilazcircle, ring, whirl
5Proto-Germanic-ilazagent suffix; diminutive suffix
6Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

Words derived from “Wirbeltier

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰwes-Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰéwsEvery word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewsóm