German words from Middle High German
799 German words with Middle High German in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages (page 2).
Beginn
It is inherited from Middle High German begin, a noun formed from the verb beginnen. The older Old High German bigin “beginning, origin” is so rarely attested that the Old High German dictionary…
beginnen
It is inherited from Middle High German beginnen, inherited from Old High German biginnan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *biginnan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *biginnaną (“to begin”), formed…
begleiten
Kluge explains it as from Middle High German be- + geleite (“escort”), formed in the 14th century in the sense “to give an escort” from the noun belonging to leiten, and contracted in New High…
Begriff
It is inherited from Middle High German begrif (“area, district; extent”), a noun formed from begreifen in its sense “to enclose, contain”. The same word is Middle Low German begrip and Dutch…
begrüßen
It is inherited from Middle High German begrüezen, inherited from Old High German bigruozen (“to greet, address”), formed from Old High German bi- + gruozen, the prefix be- added to grüßen…
behandeln
It is inherited from Middle High German behandeln (“to touch with the hand”), formed from German be- + handeln. The same formation is Middle Low German behandelen and Dutch behandelen. handeln is…
behaupten
It is inherited from Middle High German behoubeten (“to prove, confirm”), a prefixed form of houbeten (“to acknowledge as head; to regard oneself as head”), formed from houbet (“head, chief, lord”)…
bei
It is inherited from Middle High German bī, inherited from Old High German bī, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bī, inherited from Proto-Germanic *bi. The same word is Gothic 𐌱𐌹 (bi, “around…
beide
It is inherited from Middle High German beide, inherited from Old High German beide, from a group of Proto-Germanic *bai (“both”) and the demonstrative pronoun that became the definite article. Old…
Beispiel
It is inherited from Middle High German bīspel (“instructive story, parable, proverb”), inherited from Old High German bīspel, a compound from Old High German bī + spel (“story, speech”). The same…
Beitrag
It is a noun formed on the stem of the verb beitragen “to contribute”, itself inherited from Middle High German bītragen, formed from German bei- + tragen. Its counterpart is Dutch bijdrage.
bekannt
It is inherited from Middle High German bekant, originally a past participle: the verb is bekennen (“to know, recognize”), now bekennen. The participle became an adjective because the verb lost its…
bekommen
It is inherited from Middle High German bekomen, inherited from Old High German biqueman, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bikweman, inherited from Proto-Germanic *bikwemaną (“to come near, come…
belegen
It is inherited from Middle High German belegen, inherited from Old High German bileggen (“to cover, surround”), formed from Old High German bi- + leggen (“to lay”). The base verb is the causative…
Bereich
It is a back-formation, from Middle High German bereichen (“to reach as far as, extend over”), made in the 18th century. That verb, which matches Middle Dutch bereiken, is formed with be- from…
bereit
It is inherited from Middle High German bereite, inherited from Old High German bireiti (“equipped, ready”), a formation with the prefix be- found only in German and Dutch. Beside it stand the…
Berg
It is inherited from Middle High German berc, inherited from Old High German berg, inherited from Proto-Germanic *bergaz (“mountain”). The same word is Old Saxon berg, Old Frisian berch, Old English…
Bericht
It is inherited from Middle High German beriht (“instruction, settlement, report”), a back-formation from the verb berichten, berihten, Old High German birihten (“to set right, improve”). The verb…
berichten
It is inherited from Middle High German berihten, inherited from Old High German birihten (“to make right, improve”), formed from richten with the prefix be-. It first meant “to make right…
Beruf
It is inherited from Middle High German beruof (“reputation, repute”), a noun formed from berufen. The verb is Middle High German beruofen (“to call together, proclaim”), a prefixed form of rufen…
beschließen
It is inherited from Middle High German besliezen, inherited from Old High German bisliozan (“to shut, enclose, conclude”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bisleutan, made of the prefix be- and…
beschreiben
It is inherited from Middle High German beschrīben (“to write down, record, depict”), formed with be- from schreiben. The same verb is Dutch beschrijven. Old High German scrīban and its Germanic…
besetzen
It is inherited from Middle High German besetzen, inherited from Old High German bisezzen, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bisattjan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *bisatjaną (“to set around; to…
besitzen
It is inherited from Middle High German besitzen, inherited from Old High German bisizzen, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bisittjan (“to sit by, near”), inherited from Proto-Germanic…
besondere
It is late Middle High German besunder, which took the place of the simple adjective sunder (“separate, own, distinguished”). The new adjective was shaped by the older adverb besunder (“separately…
besonders
It is inherited from Middle High German besunder (“apart, separately; excellent”) with an adverbial /-s/, a fusion of unstressed bī (“by”) (now bei) and the adjective and adverb sunder (“apart, set…
bestätigen
It is inherited from Middle High German bestætigen (“to make firm, confirm”), formed with the prefix be- from the adjective stætec (“firm, constant”), today's stetig. Kluge allows that it may…
bestehen
It is inherited from Middle High German bestān, inherited from Old High German bistān, formed from Old High German bi- + stān, the Old High German form of stehen. Wiktionary sets up Proto-Germanic…
bestimmen
It is inherited from Middle High German bestimmen (“to name; to fix”), formed from German be- + stimmen in the old sense of that verb, “to name, to fix”. It first meant “to choose or fix by one's…
Besuch
It is inherited from Middle High German besuoch, inherited from Old High German bisuoh (“temptation”), the noun of the verb besuchen. The Duden dictionary instead treats the modern noun as a…
besuchen
It is inherited from Middle High German besuochen, inherited from Old High German bisuohhen (“to examine, try, inquire”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bisōkijan, formed from German be- +…
betragen
It is inherited from Middle High German betragen, from German be- + tragen. Kluge calls the development of its meanings unclear on the whole. The sense used of sums and measures comes from the…
bevor
It is inherited from Middle High German bevor, inherited from Old High German bifora (“before, earlier”), an adverb run together from bī (“by, at”) and fora (“before, earlier”), that is bei and vor…
bewegen
1. The verb meaning “induce” is inherited from Middle High German bewëgen, formed from Old High German bi- + wegan (“to weigh, move”). The simple verb continues Proto-Germanic *weganą (“to move…
Bewegung
It is inherited from Middle High German bewegunge, inherited from Old High German biwegunga (“motion”), formed from German bewegen + -ung. The verb bewegen mixes a strong and a weak prefixed verb…
beweisen
It is inherited from Middle High German bewīsen, a prefix derivation from German be- + weisen, with Middle Low German bewīsen and Dutch bewijzen beside it. It was a weak verb in Middle High German…
bezahlen
It is inherited from Middle High German bezaln, from German be- + zahlen. The same formation is Middle Low German betālen, Middle Dutch betalen (now Dutch betalen) and Old Frisian bitalia, and…
bezeichnen
It is inherited from Middle High German bezeichenen, inherited from Old High German bizeihhanen (also bizeihhanōn), a prefixed form of Old High German zeihhanen (“to mark, show”) (modern zeichnen)…
beziehen
It is inherited from Middle High German beziehen, inherited from Old High German biziohan (“to tie up, cover over, take away”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *biteuhan, a prefixed form of…
Beziehung
It is formed from German beziehen + -ung. Kluge connects it with the sense of beziehen that is most important today, “to draw together, make a connection”. The verb is inherited from Middle High…
Bezirk
It is late inherited from Middle High German bezirc (“circuit, district”), formed from Middle High German be- + zirc (“circle, circumference”). According to Kluge, the verb bezirken (“to fix the…
bieten
It is inherited from Middle High German bieten, inherited from Old High German biotan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *beudan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *beudaną (“to offer, bid”). The same…
Bild
It is inherited from Middle High German bilde, inherited from Old High German bilidi, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *biliþi. Early Upper German also had biladi and bilodi; the form with -idi…
bilden
It is inherited from Middle High German bilden, inherited from Old High German bilidōn (“to copy a given shape”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *biliþōn, with which the older Old High German…
bis
It is inherited from Middle High German biz, from Middle High German bī (“by”) + ze (“to”), grown together into one word. The DWB revision traces it to late Old High German, where bi and zi first…
bisher
It is inherited from Middle High German bizher, formed from bis and her. The same formation is Middle Low German bethēr. The first part, biz, is probably a fusion of bī (“by”) and ze (“to”) (now bei…
bitten
It is inherited from Middle High German bitten, inherited from Old High German bitten (“to ask, beg, pray”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *biddjan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *bidjaną (“to…
bleiben
It is inherited from Middle High German belīben, inherited from Old High German bilīban, inherited from Proto-Germanic *bilībaną (“to remain”), a verb formed with the prefix *bi- on a simple strong…
Blick
It is inherited from Middle High German blic, inherited from Old High German blik, inherited from Proto-Germanic *blikaz (“shine, gleam”). The same word is Middle Low German blick, Middle Dutch…
Boden
It is inherited from Middle High German bodem, inherited from Old High German bodam, inherited from Proto-Germanic *butmaz (“bottom”). The same word is Old Saxon bodom, Old English botm, Old Frisian…
brauchen
It is inherited from Middle High German brūchen, inherited from Old High German brūhhan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *brūkan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *brūkaną (“to use, enjoy”). The…
brechen
It is inherited from Middle High German brëchen, inherited from Old High German brehhan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”). The same strong verb is Gothic 𐌱𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (brikan), Old…
breit
It is inherited from Middle High German breit, inherited from Old High German breit, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *braid, inherited from Proto-Germanic *braidaz (“broad, wide”). The same word…
Brief
It is inherited from Middle High German brief, inherited from Old High German briaf, an early borrowed from Latin breve (“short writing, document”), the neuter of the adjective brevis (“short”)…
bringen
It is inherited from Middle High German bringen, inherited from Old High German bringan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *bringan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *bringaną (“to bring”). The same…
Bruder
It is inherited from Middle High German bruoder, inherited from Old High German bruoder, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *brōþer, inherited from Proto-Germanic *brōþēr (“brother”). The same word…
Buch
It is inherited from Middle High German buoch, inherited from Old High German buoh, inherited from Proto-Germanic *bōks. The same word is Old Saxon bōk, Old English bōc, Old Frisian bōk, Old Norse…
Bühne
It is inherited from Middle High German büne (also bün), a word found only in German and Dutch: Middle Low German böne (“wooden gallery, platform, ceiling”) and Dutch beun. No Old High German form…
Bund
It is inherited from Middle High German bunt, a noun of the zero grade of binden, first meaning “something bound” or “something that binds”. The word is limited to German and Dutch: Middle Low…
bunt
It is inherited from Middle High German bunt (“black and white, spotted”), probably borrowed from Latin pūnctus (“pricked, stitched”), the past participle of pungō (“to prick”). It would first have…