Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “art” come from?

art (German) comes from Middle High German art, from Old High German art, from Proto-West Germanic ard, from Proto-Germanic ardiz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂erh₃-, from Proto-Indo-European h₁er- — earth.

Ancestry of “art”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanart—
2Old High Germanart—
3Proto-West Germanicardnative place
4Proto-Germanicardizcharacteristic; inborn quality; nature;...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂erh₃-to plough
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁er-earth
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁er- →