Where does “wahtel” come from?
wahtel (Middle High German) comes from Old High German wahtala, from Proto-West Germanic hwahtlā, from Proto-Germanic hwahtlǭ, from Proto-Indo-European kʷóǵ⁽ʰ⁾-tl-eh₂, from Proto-Indo-European kʷeǵ⁽ʰ⁾- — to flee, escape.
Ancestry of “wahtel”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | wahtala | — |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | hwahtlā | quail |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hwahtlǭ | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷóǵ⁽ʰ⁾-tl-eh₂ | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kʷeǵ⁽ʰ⁾- | to flee, escape |