Where does “Zwangsarbeit” come from?

Zwangsarbeit (German) comes from German arbeit, from Middle High German arbeit, from Old High German arbeit, from Proto-West Germanic arbaiþi, from Proto-Germanic arbaidiz, from Proto-Indo-European h₃órbʰos, from Proto-Indo-European h₃erbʰ- — to change allegiance, status, ownership;...

Zwangsarbeit (German): forced labor

Definitions

  1. forced labor

Ancestry of “Zwangsarbeit”, step by step

Zwangsarbeit traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German arbeit

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanarbeittoil, regularly performed work, regularly pursued economic activity, labor, job, employment, occupation
2Middle High Germanarbeit—
3Old High Germanarbeit—
4Proto-West Germanicarbaiþihardship
5Proto-Germanicarbaidizlabour, work, toil; hardship, suffering
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃órbʰosorphan; servant, slave, worker
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃erbʰ-to change allegiance, status, ownership;...

via German Zwang

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanZwangcompulsion, obligation
2Middle High Germantwanc—
3Old High Germangeduang—
4Proto-West Germanicþwangibelt, strap, thong
5Proto-Germanicþwangizbelt, strap, thong; clamp
6Proto-Indo-Europeantwenk-to press, squeeze; to squeeze, press, pressure
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃erbʰ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₃órbʰos →Every word from Proto-Germanic arbaidiz →