Where does “besitzen” come from?
besitzen (German) comes from Middle High German besitzen, from Old High German bisizzen, from Proto-West Germanic *bisittjan, from Proto-Germanic bisitjaną, from Proto-Germanic bi-, from Proto-Germanic bi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂n̥tbʰi — on, onto.
besitzen (German): to own, to possess; to have
Definitions
- to own, to possess; to have
Ancestry of “besitzen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | besitzen | to sit; to beseige |
| 2 | Old High German | bisizzen | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *bisittjan | to sit by, near |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bisitjaną | to sit among, sit near |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bi- | by, at |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |