Where does “snēwīz” come from?
snēwīz (Middle High German) comes from Old High German snēwīz, from Proto-Germanic snaiwahwītaz, from Proto-Germanic snaiwaz, from Proto-Indo-European snóygʷʰos, from Proto-Indo-European sneygʷʰ- — to snow.
Ancestry of “snēwīz”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | snēwīz | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | snaiwahwītaz | snow-white |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | snaiwaz | snow |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | snóygʷʰos | snow |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | sneygʷʰ- | to snow |