Where does “dienstunfähig” come from?

dienstunfähig (German) comes from German unfähig, from German un-, from Middle High German un-, from Old High German un-, from Proto-West Germanic un-, from Proto-Germanic un-, from Proto-Indo-European n̥-, from Proto-Indo-European ne — not.

dienstunfähig (German): unserviceable; unfit

Definitions

  1. unserviceable; unfit

Ancestry of “dienstunfähig”, step by step

dienstunfähig traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German unfähig

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanunfähigincapable, unable, inept; incompetent
2Germanun-un-; grave; bad; horrifying
3Middle High Germanun-
4Old High Germanun-un-; prefix of negation, absence or contrariness
5Proto-West Germanicun-not, un-
6Proto-Germanicun-not, un-
7Proto-Indo-Europeann̥-not, un-
8Proto-Indo-Europeannenot

via German dienst

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germandienstsecond-person singular present of dienen
2Middle High Germandienst
3Old High Germandionest
4Proto-Germanicþewanōstazservice
5Proto-Indo-Europeantekʷ-to run, to flow
Every word from Proto-Indo-European neEvery word from German un-Every word from Proto-Indo-European n̥-