Where does “ewe” come from?
ewe (Pennsylvania German) comes from Middle High German ëben, from Old High German eban, from Proto-West Germanic ebn, from Proto-Germanic ebnaz, from Proto-Indo-European h₁émnos — equal, straight; flat, level, even.
ewe (Pennsylvania German): even; level
Ancestry of “ewe”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | ëben | — |
| 2 | Old High German | eban | plain, even |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | ebn | even, level |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | ebnaz | even, level |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁émnos | equal, straight; flat, level, even |