Where does “Wurstmesser” come from?

Wurstmesser (German) comes from German messer, from German messen, from Middle High German mëȥȥen, from Old High German mëȥȥen, from Proto-Germanic *metan, from Proto-Germanic metaną, from Proto-Indo-European mēd-, from Proto-Indo-European med- — to measure; to give advice; healing.

Wurstmesser (German): knife especially for cutting sausages

Definitions

  1. knife especially for cutting sausages

Ancestry of “Wurstmesser”, step by step

Wurstmesser traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German messer

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanmesserknife
2Germanmessento measure; to compete; to measure; to be a given...
3Middle High Germanmëȥȥen
4Old High Germanmëȥȥen
5Proto-Germanic*metan
6Proto-Germanicmetanąto measure
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmēd-to measure
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmed-to measure; to give advice; healing

via German wurst

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanwurstanyway, anyhow
2Middle High Germanwurst
3Old High Germanwurst
4Proto-West Germanicwurstisausage
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwert-to turn, to rotate
6Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European med-Every word from Proto-Indo-European mēd-Every word from Proto-Germanic metaną