Where does “Schweiz” come from?
Schweiz (Hunsrik) comes from Middle High German Swīz, from Old High German Suittes, from Old High German swīdan, from Proto-West Germanic swīþan, from Proto-Germanic swīþaną, from Proto-Indo-European swey-, from Proto-Indo-European sew- — to press out, extract; juice; liquid, rain; to...
Ancestry of “Schweiz”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | Swīz | the valley or the town of Schwyz; Schwyz |
| 2 | Old High German | Suittes | the town of Schwyz |
| 3 | Old High German | swīdan | to burn |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | swīþan | to burn, to singe |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | swīþaną | to burn, singe |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | swey- | to twist, swing; to hiss; whistle; to swing,... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sew- | to press out, extract; juice; liquid, rain; to... |