Where does “verniedlichen” come from?
verniedlichen (German) comes from German niedlich, from Old Saxon niudliko, from Old Saxon niud, from Proto-West Germanic *niudi, from Proto-Indo-European newdʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European new- — new; to nod, assent to.
verniedlichen (German): to belittle
Definitions
- to belittle
Ancestry of “verniedlichen”, step by step
verniedlichen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German niedlich
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | niedlich | cute, pretty, charming, adorable; tiny, minute |
| 2 | Old Saxon | niudliko | zealously, carefully |
| 3 | Old Saxon | niud | desire, longing; zeal, eagerness; pleasure |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *niudi | desire, eagerness |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | newdʰ- | seeking, need |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | new- | new; to nod, assent to |
via German ver- -en
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | ver- -en | Forms factitive verbs from adjectives, meaning "to make more (adjective)" |