Where does “wanken” come from?
wanken (German) comes from Middle High German wanken, from Old High German wankōn, from Proto-West Germanic wankōn, from Proto-Germanic wankōną, from Proto-Germanic weganą, from Proto-Indo-European weǵʰ- — to bring; to transport.
wanken (German): to falter, stagger
Ancestry of “wanken”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | wanken | — |
| 2 | Old High German | wankōn | to totter |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | wankōn | to sway, to waver |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wankōną | to sway, to waver |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | weganą | to move, to carry; to weigh |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | weǵʰ- | to bring; to transport |