Where does “volk” come from?
volk (German) comes from Middle High German volc, from Old High German folc, from Proto-West Germanic folk, from Proto-Germanic fulką, from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- — to fill.
Ancestry of “volk”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | volc | — |
| 2 | Old High German | folc | folk; people collectively, nation; people, nation |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | folk | people, tribe |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | fulką | people; tribe |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | pleh₁- | to fill |