Where does “blitzblank” come from?

blitzblank (German) comes from German blitzen, from German blickzen, from Middle High German bleczen, from Old High German blechazan, from Proto-West Germanic blikkattjan, from Proto-West Germanic blīkan, from Proto-Germanic blīkaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-.

blitzblank (German): shiny, spick and span

Definitions

  1. shiny, spick and span

Ancestry of “blitzblank”, step by step

blitzblank traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German blitzen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanblitzento lighten; to flash; to sparkle
2Germanblickzen—
3Middle High Germanbleczen—
4Old High Germanblechazan—
5Proto-West Germanicblikkattjanto flash, to glitter
6Proto-West Germanicblīkanto shine
7Proto-Germanicblīkanąto gleam; shine
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

via German blank

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanblankbright; spotlessly clean; shining; polished;...
2Middle High Germanblanc—
3Old High Germanblancshining, bright
4Proto-Germanicblankazbright, shining, white, gleaming, blinding
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbhleg-to shine, white; to shine, burn, scorch
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰel- →Every word from Proto-Germanic blīkaną →