Etymology Explorer › Middle High German

Where does “sinken” come from?

sinken (Middle High German) comes from Old High German sinkan, from Proto-West Germanic sinkwan, from Proto-Germanic sinkwaną, from Proto-Indo-European sengʷ- — to sink; to fall; to drop.

Ancestry of “sinken”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germansinkanto sink
2Proto-West Germanicsinkwanto sink
3Proto-Germanicsinkwanąto sink
4Proto-Indo-Europeansengʷ-to sink; to fall; to drop

Words derived from “sinken”

  • absinken
  • sinken
  • sinke
  • unsinkbar
  • absenkbar
  • sinkar
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sengʷ- →