Where does “sjöjungfru” come from?
sjöjungfru (Swedish) comes from Swedish jungfru, from Old Norse jungfrú, from Middle Low German junkvrūwe, from Middle Low German vrūwe, from Old Saxon frūa, from Proto-Germanic frawjǭ, from Proto-Indo-European proHwo-, from Proto-Indo-European per- — passed , crossed.
sjöjungfru (Swedish): mermaid (mythological woman with a fish's tail)
Definitions
- mermaid (mythological woman with a fish's tail)
Ancestry of “sjöjungfru”, step by step
sjöjungfru traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Swedish jungfru
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | jungfru | a young woman, a young lady; a virgin; a girl, a... |
| 2 | Old Norse | jungfrú | — |
| 3 | Middle Low German | junkvrūwe | maiden |
| 4 | Middle Low German | vrūwe | lady |
| 5 | Old Saxon | frūa | lady |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | frawjǭ | lady, wife of a lord |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | proHwo- | master, judge; right judge, master |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via Swedish sjö
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | sjö | a lake, small sea |
| 2 | Old Norse | sær | the sea, ocean; second/third-person singular... |
| 3 | Old Norse | sik | oneself |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | sik | Alternative form of *sek |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | sīką | trickling water; a dribble; a slow brook; a... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | seykʷ- | to moisten; to filter |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sey- | to be wet; dribble; run; to stretch one's arm;... |