Where does “eigen” come from?
eigen (Middle High German) comes from Old High German eigan, from Proto-West Germanic aigan, from Proto-Germanic *aiganą, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eh₂óyḱe, from Proto-Indo-European h₂eyḱ- — to possess, to own.
Ancestry of “eigen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | eigan | own; possession, property |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | aigan | to possess, to own, to have; own |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *aiganą | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eh₂óyḱe | to possess, to own |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eyḱ- | to possess, to own |
Words derived from “eigen”