German words from Proto-Germanic
445 German words with Proto-Germanic in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages (page 5).
Monat
It is inherited from Middle High German mānōt, inherited from Old High German mānōd, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *mānōþ, inherited from Proto-Germanic *mēnōþs. The same word is Gothic 𐌼𐌴𐌽𐍉𐌸𐍃…
Montag
It is inherited from Middle High German mōntac, inherited from Old High German mānetag, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *Mānini dag (“day of the moon”), a loan translation from Latin diēs Lūnae…
Morgen
It is inherited from Middle High German morgen, inherited from Old High German morgan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *murginaz (“morning”). The same word is Gothic 𐌼𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌲𐌹𐌽𐍃 (maurgins), Old Norse…
müssen
It is inherited from Middle High German müezen, inherited from Old High German muozan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *mōtan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *mōtaną, a preterite-present verb…
Mutter
It is inherited from Middle High German muoter, inherited from Old High German muoter, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *mōder, inherited from Proto-Germanic *mōdēr (“mother”). The same word is…
nach
It is inherited from Middle High German nāch, inherited from Old High German nāh, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nāhw, inherited from Proto-Germanic *nēhw (“near”). It was originally the adverb…
Nacht
It is inherited from Middle High German naht, inherited from Old High German naht, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *naht, inherited from Proto-Germanic *nahts (“night”). The same word is Gothic…
nah
It is inherited from Middle High German nāch, inherited from Old High German nāh, inherited from Proto-Germanic *nēhwaz (“near”). The same word is Gothic 𐌽𐌴𐍈𐌰 (neƕa, “near”), Old Norse ná- (in…
Name
It is inherited from Middle High German name, inherited from Old High German namo, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *namō, inherited from Proto-Germanic *namô (“name”). The same word is Gothic…
nehmen
It is inherited from Middle High German nemen, inherited from Old High German neman, inherited from Proto-Germanic *nemaną (“to take”), a strong verb. The same word is Gothic 𐌽𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽 (niman), Old…
nennen
It is inherited from Middle High German nennen, inherited from Old High German nemnen, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *namnijan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *namnijaną (“to name”), a verb…
neu
It is inherited from Middle High German niuwe, inherited from Old High German niuwi, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *niwi, inherited from Proto-Germanic *niwjaz (“new”). The same word is Gothic…
neun
It is inherited from Middle High German niun, inherited from Old High German niun, inherited from Proto-Germanic *newun (“nine”). The same word is Gothic 𐌽𐌹𐌿𐌽 (niun), which had two syllables, Old…
nicht
It is inherited from Middle High German niht, inherited from Old High German niowiht, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *naiwwiht. It was fused from a phrase that Kluge reconstructs as…
noch
1. The adverb “still, yet” is inherited from Middle High German noch, inherited from Old High German noh, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *noh, inherited from Proto-Germanic *nuh. The same word…
nun
It is inherited from Middle High German nū, nu, inherited from Old High German nu, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *nū, inherited from Proto-Germanic *nu (“now”). The same word is Gothic 𐌽𐌿 (nu)…
nutzen
It is inherited from Middle High German nutzen (also nützen), inherited from Old High German nuzzōn (“to enjoy, spend”), inherited from Proto-Germanic *nutōną (“to make use of”). Pfeifer derives the…
ob
1. The conjunction is inherited from Middle High German obe, inherited from Old High German ibu, with the later Old High German variants ubi and oba, which arose by a shift of the vowels. The same…
oben
It is inherited from Middle High German oben, inherited from Old High German obana (“from above; above”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *obanā, inherited from Proto-Germanic *ubanē (“from…
offen
It is inherited from Middle High German offen, inherited from Old High German offan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *opan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *upanaz (“open”). The same adjective is…
öffnen
It is inherited from Middle High German offenen, inherited from Old High German offanōn, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *opanōn, inherited from Proto-Germanic *upanōną (“to open”), a verb formed…
oft
It is inherited from Middle High German ofte, inherited from Old High German ofto, inherited from Proto-Germanic *uftō (“often”). The same adverb is Gothic 𐌿𐍆𐍄𐌰 (ufta), Old Norse opt, Old English…
ohne
It is inherited from Middle High German āne, inherited from Old High German ānu, inherited from Proto-Germanic *ēnu (“without”). Old High German also had āno and āna. The same word is Old Saxon āno…
Ort
It is inherited from Middle High German ort, inherited from Old High German ort (“point, tip”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *oʀd, inherited from Proto-Germanic *uzdaz (“point”). The same word…
Quelle
It is inherited from Middle High German quelle, inherited from Old High German quella (“spring”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *kwalljā (“spring, well”). The same word is Old Saxon quella…
Rat
It is inherited from Middle High German rāt, inherited from Old High German rāt (“advice; supplies”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *rād, inherited from Proto-Germanic *rēdaz (“advice…
Raum
It is inherited from Middle High German rūm, inherited from Old High German rūm, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *rūm, inherited from Proto-Germanic *rūmą (“room, open space”). The noun is a…
rechnen
It is inherited from Middle High German rechenen, inherited from Old High German rehhanōn (“to order, prepare”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *rekanōn. The same West Germanic verb is Old…
recht
It is inherited from Middle High German reht, inherited from Old High German reht, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *reht (“right, straight”), inherited from Proto-Germanic *rehtaz (“right…
Recht
It is inherited from Middle High German reht, inherited from Old High German reht, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *reht, inherited from Proto-Germanic *rehtą (“right, privilege”), the neuter of…
rechts
It is the adverbial genitive of recht, from German recht + -s, formed as the opposite of links. The right side is the “correct” one, the right hand the skilful one, as against the left. The…
Rede
It is inherited from Middle High German rede, inherited from Old High German reda, inherited from Proto-Germanic *raþjǭ (“account, reckoning”). Old High German also has the forms redia and radia…
reichen
It is inherited from Middle High German reichen, inherited from Old High German reihhen (“to extend, reach”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *raikijan (“to reach”). A by-form Old High German…
Reihe
It is inherited from Middle High German rīhe (“row, line, narrow passage”), inherited from Old High German *rīha, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *rīhu. Beside it, with grammatical change of /h/…
rein
It is inherited from Middle High German reine, inherited from Old High German reini, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *hrainī, inherited from Proto-Germanic *hrainiz (“clean, pure”). The same…
Reise
It is inherited from Middle High German reise, inherited from Old High German reisa, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *raisu (“journey”). Kluge traces it to Proto-Germanic *raisō (“departure…
retten
It is inherited from Middle High German retten, inherited from Old High German retten (also hretten), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *hraddjan (“to save, rescue”). The verb is found only in West…
richten
It is inherited from Middle High German rihten, inherited from Old High German rihten, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *rihtijan (“to straighten, set right”), inherited from Proto-Germanic…
rot
It is inherited from Middle High German rōt, inherited from Old High German rōt, inherited from Proto-Germanic *raudaz (“red”). The same adjective is Gothic 𐍂𐌰𐌿𐌸𐍃 (rauþs), Old Norse rauðr, Old…
rufen
It is inherited from Middle High German ruofen, inherited from Old High German (h)ruofan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *hrōpan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *hrōpaną (“to cry out, call”). The…
Sache
It is inherited from Middle High German sache, inherited from Old High German sahha, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *saku, inherited from Proto-Germanic *sakō (“lawsuit, dispute, cause”). The…
sagen
It is inherited from Middle High German sagen, inherited from Old High German sagēn, inherited from Proto-Germanic *sagēn (“to say”). The other West Germanic and Norse forms go back to a variant…
sammeln
It is inherited from Middle High German samelen, a late Middle High German form that arose by dissimilation of /n/ to /l/ from the older samenen, inherited from Old High German samanōn (“to gather…
Schaden
It is inherited from Middle High German schade, inherited from Old High German scado (“harm, harmer”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *skaþō, inherited from Proto-Germanic *skaþô (“damage”). The…
schaffen
It is inherited from Middle High German schaffen, inherited from Old High German skephen (“to create, make, shape”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *skappjan, inherited from Proto-Germanic…
schauen
It is inherited from Middle High German schouwen, inherited from Old High German scouwōn, inherited from Proto-Germanic *skawwōną (“to look”). The same West Germanic verb is Old Saxon skawon, Old…
scheinen
It is inherited from Middle High German schīnen, inherited from Old High German skīnan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *skīnan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *skīnaną (“to shine”). The same verb…
Schilling
It is inherited from Middle High German schillinc, inherited from Old High German skilling, inherited from Proto-Germanic *skillingaz. The same word is Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌹𐌻𐌻𐌹𐌲𐌲𐍃 (skilliggs), Old Norse…
schlagen
It is inherited from Middle High German slahen, inherited from Old High German slahan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *slahaną (“to strike”). The same word is Gothic 𐍃𐌻𐌰𐌷𐌰𐌽 (slahan), Old Norse slá…
schlecht
It is inherited from Middle High German sleht, inherited from Old High German sleht (“smooth, level, simple”), inherited from Proto-Germanic *slihtaz (“smooth, level”). The same adjective is Gothic…
schließen
It is inherited from Middle High German slieʒen, inherited from Old High German sliozan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *sleutan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *sleutaną (“to bolt, lock”). The…
Schloss
It is inherited from Middle High German sloȥ, inherited from Old High German slōz, sloz, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *slot (“bar, bolt”), a derivative of schließen. The same word is Dutch…
schnell
It is inherited from Middle High German snel, inherited from Old High German snel, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *snel, inherited from Proto-Germanic *snellaz (“active, bold, quick”). The same…
schon
It is inherited from Middle High German schōne (“beautifully, fittingly, completely”), inherited from Old High German scōno (“beautifully”), inherited from Proto-Germanic *skaunō, originally the…
schön
It is inherited from Middle High German schœne, inherited from Old High German scōni, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *skaunī, inherited from Proto-Germanic *skauniz (“beautiful”). The same…
schreiben
It is inherited from Middle High German schrīben, inherited from Old High German scrīban, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *skrīban, borrowed from Latin scrībō (“to write”). The Latin verb first…
Schritt
It is inherited from Middle High German schrit, inherited from Old High German scrit, inherited from Proto-Germanic *skridiz (also reconstructed as *skriþiz), an i-stem noun made in ablaut to the…
schützen
It is inherited from Middle High German schützen (“to dam up, hold back water”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *skuttjan (“to shut, close off”). Old High German has no record of it, and in…
schwach
It is inherited from Middle High German swach (“bad, low, worthless; feeble”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *swak. Old High German has no record of it; Köbler sets up an unattested Old High…
schwarz
It is inherited from Middle High German swarz, inherited from Old High German swarz, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *swart, inherited from Proto-Germanic *swartaz (“black”). The same word is Old…