Where does “zögern” come from?
zögern (German) comes from German zogen, from Middle High German zogen, from Old High German zogōn, from Middle English togon, from Old English tōgān, from Old English tō-, from Old English te-, from Proto-Germanic twiz- — two-ways, in twain; twice, in two.
zögern (German): to hesitate
Definitions
- to hesitate
Ancestry of “zögern”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | zogen | first/third-person plural preterite of ziehen |
| 2 | Middle High German | zogen | be on one's way; walk, march; hurry, run |
| 3 | Old High German | zogōn | — |
| 4 | Middle English | togon | — |
| 5 | Old English | tōgān | to go apart |
| 6 | Old English | tō- | apart; to |
| 7 | Old English | te- | Alternative form of tō-; apart, asunder; apart,... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | twiz- | in two, in twain; asunder, in pieces; apart,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dwis- | two-ways, in twain; twice, in two |