Where does “selbstverständlich” come from?
selbstverständlich (German) comes from German selbst, from Old High German selb, from Proto-Germanic selbaz, from Proto-Indo-European selbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European s(w)e-, from Proto-Indo-European swé — self.
selbstverständlich (German): natural, self-evident; granted; naturally
Definitions
- natural, self-evident; granted; naturally
Ancestry of “selbstverständlich”, step by step
selbstverständlich traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German selbst
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | selbst | personally, by oneself; even |
| 2 | Old High German | selb | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | selbaz | self |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | selbʰ- | one's own |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | s(w)e- | separate, apart; separate; apart; oneself; one's... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | swé | self |
via German verständlich
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | verständlich | understandable, comprehensible |
| 2 | German | -lich | an adjectival suffix; an adverbial suffix |
| 3 | Middle High German | -lich | -ly |
| 4 | Old High German | -līh | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |