Etymology Explorer › Middle High German

Where does “gürtel” come from?

gürtel (Middle High German) comes from Old High German gurtil, from Proto-West Germanic *gurdil, from Proto-Germanic gurdilaz, from Proto-Germanic gurdijaną, from Proto-Indo-European gʰerdʰ- — to enclose, to encircle; enclosure, fence, belt.

Ancestry of “gürtel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germangurtil—
2Proto-West Germanic*gurdil—
3Proto-Germanicgurdilazgirdle
4Proto-Germanicgurdijanąto gird
5Proto-Indo-Europeangʰerdʰ-to enclose, to encircle; enclosure, fence, belt

Words derived from “gürtel”

  • Keuschheitsgürtel
  • Nacktschwanzgürteltier
  • Sprengstoffgürtel
  • Gürteltier
  • Gürtelrose
  • Gürtel
  • Äquatorialgürtel
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰerdʰ- →