Etymology Explorer › Middle High German

Where does “ouwe” come from?

ouwe (Middle High German) comes from Old High German ouwa, from Proto-West Germanic auwju, from Proto-Germanic awjō, from Proto-Germanic agwjō, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ékʷeh₂ — water.

ouwe (Middle High German): terrain, landscape by water, in water, island;...

Definitions

  1. terrain, landscape by water, in water, island;...

Ancestry of “ouwe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germanouwa—
2Proto-West Germanicauwjufloodplain; meadow; island
3Proto-Germanicawjōfloodplain; meadow; island
4Proto-Germanicagwjō—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ékʷeh₂water

Words derived from “ouwe”

  • Auerbach
  • Aue
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂ékʷeh₂ →