Where does “jedermann” come from?
jedermann (German) comes from German jeder, from Middle High German ieweder, from Old High German ioweder, from Old High German wedar, from Proto-West Germanic hwaþar, from Proto-Germanic hwaþeraz, from Proto-Indo-European kʷóteros, from Proto-Indo-European kʷos — The primary interrogative root.
jedermann (German): everyone
Definitions
- everyone
Ancestry of “jedermann”, step by step
jedermann traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German jeder
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | jeder | each; each, every |
| 2 | Middle High German | ieweder | — |
| 3 | Old High German | ioweder | both; each |
| 4 | Old High German | wedar | which |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | hwaþar | which |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hwaþeraz | which, what |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷóteros | which of two |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷos | See *kʷis |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷ- | The primary interrogative root |