Where does “gwałt” come from?

gwałt (Polish) 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.

gwałt (Polish): rape; any illegal act of violence

Definitions

  1. rape; any illegal act of violence

Ancestry of “gwałt”, 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 “gwałt”

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