Etymology Explorer › Middle High German

Where does “volk” come from?

volk (Middle High German) comes from Old High German folc, from Proto-West Germanic folk, from Proto-Germanic fulką, from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- — to fill.

Ancestry of “volk”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germanfolcfolk; people collectively, nation; people, nation
2Proto-West Germanicfolkpeople, tribe
3Proto-Germanicfulkąpeople; tribe
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpleh₁-to fill

Words derived from “volk”

  • Volk
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pleh₁- →