Where does “wünschen” come from?
wünschen (Middle High German) comes from Old High German wunsken, from Proto-West Germanic wunskijan, from Proto-Germanic wunskijaną, from Proto-Germanic wunskaz, from Proto-Indo-European wun-.
Ancestry of “wünschen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | wunsken | to choose, wish, desire |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | wunskijan | to wish, to desire |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | wunskijaną | to wish, to desire |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wunskaz | wish |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wun- | — |