Where does “Gewalt” come from?

Gewalt (Pennsylvania German) comes from Middle High German gewalt, from Old High German giwalt, from Proto-Germanic *wald, from Proto-Germanic waldą, from Proto-Indo-European waldʰ- — to be strong, be powerful, prevail, possess.

Gewalt (Pennsylvania German): power; violence

Definitions

  1. power; violence

Ancestry of “Gewalt”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germangewaltstrength, power
2Old High Germangiwalt—
3Proto-Germanic*wald—
4Proto-Germanicwaldąmight, power, authority
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwaldʰ-to be strong, be powerful, prevail, possess

Words derived from “Gewalt”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European waldʰ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic waldą →Every word from Proto-Germanic *wald →