Where does “Zahnfäule” come from?

Zahnfäule (German) comes from German Zahn, from Middle High German zan, from Old High German zan, from Proto-West Germanic tanþ, from Proto-Germanic tanþs, from Proto-Indo-European h₃dónts, from Proto-Indo-European h₁ed- — to eat.

Zahnfäule (German): caries

Definitions

  1. caries

Ancestry of “Zahnfäule”, step by step

Zahnfäule traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German Zahn

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanZahntooth; fang; tusk
2Middle High Germanzantooth
3Old High GermanzanAlternative form of zand
4Proto-West Germanictanþtooth
5Proto-Germanictanþstooth
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃dóntstooth
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ed-to eat

via German Fäule

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanFäulerot
2Middle High Germanvūle—
3Old High Germanfūlī—
4Proto-Germanicfūlį̄—
5Proto-Germanicfūlazfoul, dirty; rotten
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpū-rotten, putrid; be rotten; putrid; to rot, swell,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁ed- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃dónts →Every word from Proto-Germanic tanþs →