Where does “woher” come from?
woher (German) comes from German hēr, from Old High German hera, from Proto-Germanic hē₂r, from Proto-Indo-European ḱe, from Middle English kyt, from German kitt, from Old High German kuti, from Proto-West Germanic kwidu — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
woher (German): where from, whence; how
Definitions
- where from, whence; how
Ancestry of “woher”, step by step
woher traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German hēr
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | hēr | hither, to this place, to here, to me/us |
| 2 | Old High German | hera | hither |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hē₂r | here, in this place |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 5 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 6 | German | kitt | putty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes |
| 7 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | gū- | to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,... |
via German wô
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | wô | where at what place |
| 2 | Middle High German | wā | — |
| 3 | Old High German | wār | id; true |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | wār | true, reliable |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wēraz | true; reliable; friendly; kind |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |