Where does “degen” come from?

degen (German) comes from Middle High German degen, from Old French dague, from Italian daga, from Vulgar Latin daca, from Latin Dacia, from Ancient Greek Δάοι — Dai, a Scythian tribe mentioned by Herodotus.

degen (German): rapier, smallsword

Definitions

  1. rapier, smallsword

Ancestry of “degen”, step by step

degen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle High German degen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germandegena warrior, a hero, a knight
2Old Frenchdague
3Italiandagadagger; A stabbing weapon, similar to a sword but...
4Vulgar LatindacaDacian knife; Dacian
5LatinDaciaDenmark; Dacia; greater Romania
6Ancient GreekΔάοιDai, a Scythian tribe mentioned by Herodotus

via Middle French dague

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchdaguedagger

Words derived from “degen

Every word from Ancient Greek Δάοι