Where does “kümmerlich” come from?
kümmerlich (German) comes from German Kummer, from Middle High German kumber, from Old French combre, from Medieval Latin combrus, from Gaulish komberū, from Proto-Celtic kombereti, from Proto-Celtic kom-, from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
kümmerlich (German): miserable; meager; puny
Ancestry of “kümmerlich”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Kummer | grief, sorrow; trouble |
| 2 | Middle High German | kumber | nuisance, trouble; debris, rubble, obstruction,... |
| 3 | Old French | combre | wooden obstacles on a river; dam; hindrance,... |
| 4 | Medieval Latin | combrus | barricade of felled trees; barricade |
| 5 | Gaulish | komberū | — |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | kombereti | to bring together |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | kom- | with, together |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóm | beside, near, by, with |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 10 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 11 | German | kitt | — |
| 12 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 13 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 14 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |
| 15 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |
| 16 | Proto-Indo-European | gū- | to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,... |