Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “eh” come from?

eh (German) comes from Middle High German ē, from Proto-Germanic aiw — always, for ever.

eh (German): before; anyway; well, admittedly

Definitions

  1. before; anyway; well, admittedly

Ancestry of “eh”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanēearlier, ere
2Proto-Germanicaiwalways, for ever
Every word from Proto-Germanic aiw →