Where does “gēn” come from?
gēn (Middle High German) comes from Old High German gēn, from Proto-West Germanic gān, from Proto-Germanic gāną, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰengʰ- — to walk; to step.
Ancestry of “gēn”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | gēn | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | gān | to go |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | gāną | to go, walk |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰengʰ- | to walk; to step |