Where does “vergeben” come from?
vergeben (Middle High German) comes from Old High German fargeban, from Proto-Germanic fragebaną, from Proto-Germanic fra-, from Proto-Indo-European pro-, from Proto-Indo-European por-, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
Ancestry of “vergeben”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | fargeban | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | fragebaną | to give, grant; to forgive |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | fra- | off, away; completely, fully, up |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |