Where does “sonst was” come from?

sonst was (German) comes from German was, from Middle High German waȥ, from Old High German waȥ, from Proto-West Germanic hwat, from Proto-Germanic hwat, from Proto-Indo-European kʷód, from Proto-Indo-European kʷós — who.

sonst was (German): something else, anything else

Definitions

  1. something else, anything else

Ancestry of “sonst was”, step by step

sonst was traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German was

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanwaswhat; which; that, which
2Middle High Germanwaȥwhat
3Old High Germanwaȥwhat
4Proto-West Germanichwatwhat
5Proto-Germanichwatnominative/accusative singular neuter of *hwaz
6Proto-Indo-Europeankʷódwhat
7Proto-Indo-Europeankʷóswho

via German sonst

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germansonstotherwise; normally, usually; else
2Middle High Germansunst—
3Old High Germansusthus
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷós →Every word from Proto-Indo-European kʷód →Every word from Proto-Germanic hwat →