Where does “z-” come from?
z- (Old Czech) comes from Proto-Slavic jьz-, from Proto-Slavic sъ(n), from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm, from Proto-Indo-European ḱe, from Middle English kyt, from German kitt, from Old High German kuti, from Proto-West Germanic kwidu — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...
Ancestry of “z-”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Slavic | jьz- | — |
| 2 | Proto-Slavic | sъ(n) | with, accompanying, alongside; with, by means of,... |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱóm | beside, near, by, with |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱe | Deictic particle, here; Post-positional... |
| 5 | Middle English | kyt | — |
| 6 | German | kitt | — |
| 7 | Old High German | kuti | — |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | kwidu | gum, resin |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | kweduz | resin |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷet- | resin, gum; to say, speak |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | gū- | to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,... |