Etymology Explorer › Middle High German

Where does “welt” come from?

welt (Middle High German) comes from Middle High German werlt, from Old High German weralt, from Proto-West Germanic weraldi, from Proto-Germanic weraldiz, from Proto-Germanic weraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.

Ancestry of “welt”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanwerlt—
2Old High Germanweraltworld
3Proto-West Germanicweraldiworld
4Proto-Germanicweraldizlifetime, worldly existence; mankind; world
5Proto-Germanicwerazman; husband
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanwiHrósman; husband; warrior, hero
7Proto-Indo-Europeanweyh₁-to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute

Words derived from “welt”

  • Umwelt
  • Weltpolitik
  • Weltbild
  • weltanschauung
  • weltschmerz
  • world war
  • Lebenswelt
  • altweltlich
  • Weltstadt
  • weltbekannt
  • Umweltrelevanz
  • Weltbild
  • Weltkrieg
  • Weltraumteleskop
  • weltverloren
  • umweltbedingt
  • Weltbevölkerung
  • Umwelttechnik
  • Weltmeisterschaft
  • weltlich
  • Weltjudentum
  • Lebenswelt
  • Weltraumtechnik
  • Umweltchemie
Every word from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- →