Etymology Explorer › Middle High German

Where does “harm” come from?

harm (Middle High German) comes from Old High German harm, from Proto-Germanic harmaz, from Proto-Indo-European ḱormo- — suffering, pain.

Ancestry of “harm”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germanharm—
2Proto-Germanicharmazpainful; sorrowful; doleful; harmful; malicious;...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanḱormo-suffering, pain

Words derived from “harm”

  • harmlos
  • Harmlosigkeit
  • Harm
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱormo- →