Where does “vaterlich” come from?
vaterlich (Middle High German) comes from Old High German faterlīh, from Proto-Germanic fadurlīkaz, from Proto-Germanic fadēr, from Proto-Indo-European ph₂tḗr, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- — to protect; to shepherd.
Ancestry of “vaterlich”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | faterlīh | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | fadurlīkaz | fatherly; fatherlike |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | fadēr | father |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ph₂tḗr | father |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂- | to protect; to shepherd |