Where does “gewalt” come from?
gewalt (Middle High German) comes from Old High German giwalt, from Proto-Germanic *wald, from Proto-Germanic waldą, from Proto-Indo-European waldʰ- — to be strong, be powerful, prevail, possess.
gewalt (Middle High German): strength, power
Ancestry of “gewalt”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | giwalt | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | *wald | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | waldą | might, power, authority |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | waldʰ- | to be strong, be powerful, prevail, possess |
Words derived from “gewalt”