Where does “aber” come from?

aber (German) comes from Middle High German aver, from Old High German avur, from Proto-Germanic afar, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epér, from Proto-Indo-European h₂epó — off, away.

aber (German): but; however; though; again; rather; quite;...

Definitions

  1. but; however; though; again; rather; quite;...

Ancestry of “aber”, step by step

aber traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle High German aver

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanaver—
2Old High Germanavurbut
3Proto-Germanicafar—
4Proto-Indo-European*h₂epér—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂epóoff, away

via Middle High German aber

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanaberopposite, contrary
2Old High Germanaber—
3Proto-Germanicaferąafter, following, later
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂epó →Every word from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epér →Every word from Proto-Germanic afar →
aber — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer