Where does “зато” come from?

зато (Russian) comes from Russian за, from Proto-Slavic za — behind, after (stationary).

зато (Russian): on the other hand; but for all that

Definitions

  1. on the other hand; but for all that

Ancestry of “зато”, step by step

зато traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Russian за

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Russianзаbehind; beyond; on the other side of; to; during
2Proto-Slaviczabehind, after (stationary)

via Russian то

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1RussianтоUsed to link an [[w:Content clause#Interrogative content clauses
Every word from Proto-Slavic zaEvery word from Russian за
зато — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer