Where does “kaum” come from?
kaum (German) comes from Middle High German kūme, from Old High German kūmo, from Proto-Germanic kūmijaz, from Proto-Indo-European gewH- — to call, name; to invoke, call on; to cry, cry...
kaum (German): barely, hardly; little
Ancestry of “kaum”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | kūme | — |
| 2 | Old High German | kūmo | tender, dainty, weak |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | kūmijaz | weak, pitiful, frail |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gewH- | to call, name; to invoke, call on; to cry, cry... |