Etymology Explorer › Middle High German

Where does “geistlich” come from?

geistlich (Middle High German) comes from Old High German geistlīh, from Latin spiritualis, from Latin spiritalis, from Latin spiritus, from Latin -tus, from Proto-Italic -tus, from Proto-Indo-European -tus — Derives action nouns from verb roots.

Ancestry of “geistlich”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germangeistlīh—
2LatinspiritualisAlternative form of spīritālis; of breathing, of...
3LatinspiritalisOf or pertaining to breathing, the wind or air;...
4Latinspiritusair, breath, breathing; light breeze; spirit,...
5Latin-tusForms the past participle of verbs; Forms...
6Proto-Italic-tus—
7Proto-Indo-European-tusDerives action nouns from verb roots

Words derived from “geistlich”

  • geeschtlech
  • Geeschtlechen
  • Geeschtlechkeet
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -tus →