Where does “wahrsagen” come from?

wahrsagen (German) comes from German wahr, from Middle High German wār, from Old High German wār, from Proto-West Germanic wār, from Proto-Germanic wēraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.

wahrsagen (German): to divine, tell fortunes

Definitions

  1. to divine, tell fortunes

Ancestry of “wahrsagen”, step by step

wahrsagen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German wahr

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanwahrtrue, real; true, truthful
2Middle High Germanwār
3Old High Germanwārid; true
4Proto-West Germanicwārtrue, reliable
5Proto-Germanicwēraztrue; reliable; friendly; kind
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanwiHrósman; husband; warrior, hero
7Proto-Indo-Europeanweyh₁-to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute

via German sägen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germansägento saw
2Middle High Germansagento say
3Old High Germansagēnto say
4Proto-West Germanicsaggjanto say
5Proto-Germanicsagjanąto say
6Proto-Indo-Europeansokʷ-h₁-yé-
7Proto-Indo-Europeansekʷ-to follow; to see; to say

Words derived from “wahrsagen

Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁-Every word from Proto-Indo-European wiHrósEvery word from Proto-Germanic wēraz