Where does “zwillinc” come from?
zwillinc (Middle High German) comes from Old High German zwiniling, from Proto-Germanic twinilingaz, from Proto-Germanic -ilingaz, from Proto-Germanic -ilaz, from Proto-Indo-European -lós — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.
Ancestry of “zwillinc”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old High German | zwiniling | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | twinilingaz | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | -ilingaz | Forms noun-derivatives with sense of 'belonging... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | -ilaz | agent suffix; diminutive suffix |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |