Where does “höflich” come from?
höflich (German) comes from Middle High German hövelich, from Middle High German hof, from Old High German hof, from Proto-Germanic *hof, from Proto-Germanic hufą, from Proto-Indo-European keup-, from Proto-Indo-European keu- — bend; vault, hole; to shine; light; bright.
höflich (German): polite
Definitions
- polite
Ancestry of “höflich”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | hövelich | — |
| 2 | Middle High German | hof | farm; court |
| 3 | Old High German | hof | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *hof | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hufą | hill, elevated place; house, hall, estate |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | keup- | to arch, bend, buckle; a hollow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | keu- | bend; vault, hole; to shine; light; bright |