German words from Proto-Germanic
445 German words with Proto-Germanic in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages (page 8).
wissen
It is inherited from Middle High German wizzen, inherited from Old High German wizzan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *witan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *witaną (“to know”). It is a…
wo
It is inherited from Middle High German wā, inherited from Old High German hwār, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *hwār; late Middle High German had wō. The same word is Old Saxon hwār, Old…
Woche
It is inherited from Middle High German woche, inherited from Old High German wohha, older wehha, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wikā, inherited from Proto-Germanic *wikǭ (“sequence, week”)…
wohl
It is inherited from Middle High German wol, inherited from Old High German wola, inherited from Proto-Germanic *wela (“well”), the adverb that served for gut in all the Germanic languages. Old High…
wohnen
It is inherited from Middle High German wonen, inherited from Old High German wonēn (“to stay, dwell; to be accustomed”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wunēn, inherited from Proto-Germanic…
wollen
It is inherited from Middle High German wollen (also wellen), inherited from Old High German wellen (in Franconian also wollen from the 9th century), inherited from Proto-Germanic *wiljaną (“to…
Wort
It is inherited from Middle High German wort, inherited from Old High German wort, inherited from Proto-Germanic *wurdą (“word”). The same word is Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌳 (waurd), Old Norse orð, Old English…
Wunsch
It is inherited from Middle High German wunsch, inherited from Old High German wunsc, inherited from Proto-Germanic *wunskaz (“wish”). Kluge and Pfeifer set up a Germanic masculine *wunska- and a…
wünschen
It is inherited from Middle High German wünschen, inherited from Old High German wunsken, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *wunskijan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *wunskijaną (“to wish”). The…
Zahl
It is inherited from Middle High German zal, inherited from Old High German zala, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *talu, inherited from Proto-Germanic *talō (“speech, reckoning”). The same word…
zahlen
It is inherited from Middle High German zaln, inherited from Old High German zalōn (“to count, reckon, consider”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *talōn, inherited from Proto-Germanic *talōną…
zählen
It is inherited from Middle High German zellen (also zeln), inherited from Old High German zellen, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *talljan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *taljaną (“to count…
zehn
It is inherited from Middle High German zehen, inherited from Old High German zehan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *tehun (“ten”). The same word is Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿𐌽 (taihun), Old Norse tíu, Old English…
Zeichen
It is inherited from Middle High German zeichen, inherited from Old High German zeihhan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *taikn, inherited from Proto-Germanic *taikną (“sign, token”). The same…
Zeit
It is inherited from Middle High German zīt, inherited from Old High German zīt, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *tīdi, inherited from Proto-Germanic *tīdiz (“time”). The same word is Old Norse…
ziehen
It is inherited from Middle High German ziehen, inherited from Old High German ziohan, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *teuhan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *teuhaną (“to pull, lead”). The same…
Ziel
It is inherited from Middle High German zil, inherited from Old High German zil, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *til, inherited from Proto-Germanic *tilą. As a noun it is recorded only in…
zu
The modern word unites an old adverb and an old preposition. The stressed adverb is inherited from Middle High German zuo, inherited from Old High German zuo, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *tō…
zufolge
It is from German zu + Folge, formed in chancery language after the model of zuliebe and zugunsten; the Grimms' dictionary rejects the earlier view that it was contracted from a purpose clause. The…
Zug
It is inherited from Middle High German zuc, inherited from Old High German zug (“pulling, draught of fish”), inherited from Proto-West Germanic *tugi (“pull, draught”). The same word is Middle Low…
zusammen
It is inherited from Middle High German zesamene, inherited from Old High German zisamane, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *te samanǣ (“together”). The same West Germanic formation is Old Saxon…
zwei
It is inherited from Middle High German zwei, inherited from Old High German zwei, inherited from Proto-Germanic *twai (“two”). The Old High German form was the neuter of an inflected numeral whose…
zwingen
It is inherited from Middle High German twingen, inherited from Old High German dwingan, inherited from Proto-Germanic *þwinhaną (“to constrain, force”). The same strong verb is Old Saxon thwingan…
zwischen
It is Middle High German zwischen, shortened from Middle High German “in zwischen”, “enzwischen”, Old High German “in zuiskēn”, “untar zwiskēn” “in the middle of two”. The second word of the phrase…
zwölf
It is inherited from Middle High German zwelf, inherited from Old High German zwelif, inherited from Proto-Germanic *twalif (“twelve”). The same numeral is Gothic 𐍄𐍅𐌰𐌻𐌹𐍆 (twalif), Old Norse tólf…