Where does “silbe” come from?
silbe (Middle High German) comes from Old High German sillaba, from Latin syllaba, from Ancient Greek συλλαβή, from Ancient Greek συλλαμβάνω, from Ancient Greek σῠν-, from Ancient Greek σύν, from Proto-Hellenic *ksún — beside, with.
Ancestry of “silbe”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | sillaba | — |
| 2 | Latin | syllaba | syllable; poems, verses |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | συλλαβή | conception, pregnancy; that which holds together,... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | συλλαμβάνω | I collect, gather; I rally; I take hold of,... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | σῠν- | together; with, together |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | σύν | beside, with |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | *ksún | beside, with |