Where does “sinnen” come from?
sinnen (Middle High German) comes from Old High German sinnan, from Proto-West Germanic sinnan, from Proto-Germanic sinnaną, from Proto-Germanic sennaną, from Proto-Indo-European sent-n-, from Proto-Indo-European sent-, from Proto-Indo-European h₁es- — to be.
Ancestry of “sinnen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | sinnan | to desire; to demand; to strive |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | sinnan | to feel; to sense direction; to consider, think... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | sinnaną | to feel; to sense direction; to consider, think... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | sennaną | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sent-n- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sent- | to head for, to go, to travel; to feel |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁es- | to be |