Where does “Giftschwamm” come from?

Giftschwamm (Pennsylvania German) comes from Pennsylvania German Gift, from Old High German gift, from Proto-West Germanic *gifti, from Proto-Germanic giftiz, from Proto-Germanic gebaną, from Proto-Indo-European gʰebʰ- — to give.

Giftschwamm (Pennsylvania German): toadstool

Definitions

  1. toadstool

Ancestry of “Giftschwamm”, step by step

Giftschwamm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Pennsylvania German Gift

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Pennsylvania GermanGiftpoison; poison ivy, ivy poisoning
2Old High Germangiftgift
3Proto-West Germanic*gifti
4Proto-Germanicgiftizgiving, gift
5Proto-Germanicgebanąto give
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʰebʰ-to give

via Pennsylvania German Schwamm

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Pennsylvania GermanSchwammfungus
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰebʰ-Every word from Proto-Germanic gebanąEvery word from Proto-Germanic giftiz