Where does “torf” come from?
torf (German) comes from Middle Low German torf, from Old Saxon turf, from Proto-Germanic turbz, from Proto-Indo-European dorbh- — tuft, grass.
Ancestry of “torf”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | torf | peat, turf |
| 2 | Old Saxon | turf | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | turbz | turf, peat |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | dorbh- | tuft, grass |