Where does “rūm” come from?
rūm (Middle High German) comes from Old High German rūm, from Proto-West Germanic rūm, from Proto-Germanic rūmaz, from Proto-Indo-European rewh₁- — free space.
Ancestry of “rūm”, step by step
rūm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old High German rūm
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | rūm | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | rūm | roomy, spacious; room, open space |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | rūmaz | roomy, spacious, open |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | rewh₁- | free space |
via Old Saxon *rūmo
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Saxon | *rūmo | — |