Where does “god” come from?
god (Old High German) comes from Old High German got, from Proto-West Germanic gōd, from Proto-Germanic gudą, from Proto-Germanic gastiz, from Proto-Indo-European gʰóstis, from Proto-Indo-European -tis — Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots.
Ancestry of “god”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | got | god |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | gōd | good |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | gudą | invoked one; god, deity |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | gastiz | stranger, guest |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰóstis | stranger, host |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -tis | Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots |