Where does “gleich” come from?

gleich (German) comes from Middle High German gelīch, from Old High German gilīh, from Proto-West Germanic galīk, from Proto-Germanic galīkaz, from Proto-Indo-European leyǵ- — to bind, tie.

gleich (German): equal; same; very similar; same; identical

Definitions

  1. equal; same; very similar; same; identical

Ancestry of “gleich”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germangelīch
2Old High Germangilīhequal
3Proto-West Germanicgalīkalike, similar
4Proto-Germanicgalīkazalike, similar; equal
5Proto-Indo-Europeanleyǵ-to bind, tie

Words derived from “gleich

Every word from Proto-Indo-European leyǵ-
gleich — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer