ban (Kashubian)

Where does "ban" come from?

The Kashubian noun 'ban', meaning 'train' or 'station building', was borrowed from German 'Bahn'[1]. This German term traces back through Middle High German 'ban' and Old High German '*bana' to Proto-West Germanic '*banu' and Proto-Germanic '*banō'[2]. Deeply rooted in history, the Proto-Germanic form ultimately stems from Proto-Indo-European '*gʷʰon-eh₂', which derives from '*gʷʰen-' meaning 'to strike, kill'[3].

Open questions

The Old High German form '*bana' is a reconstructed form. [2]
The Proto-West Germanic form '*banu' and Proto-Germanic form '*banō' are reconstructed forms. [2]
The Proto-Indo-European forms '*gʷʰon-eh₂' and '*gʷʰen-' are reconstructed forms. [3]

Full etymology tree

ban (Kashubian), 'train (mechanical (traditionally steam-powered, now typically diesel or electrical) vehicle carrying a large number of passengers and freight along a designated track or path; a line of connected wagons considered overall as a mode of transport)'
- borrowed Bahn (German), 'route, trail'
  - inherited ban (Middle High German)
    - inherited *bana (Old High German)
      - inherited *banu (Proto-West Germanic)
        inherited *banō (Proto-Germanic), 'a battlefield'
        inherited *gʷʰon-eh₂ (Proto-Indo-European)
        derived *gʷʰen- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to strike, slay, kill'

Ancestors

Bahn (German)

Cognates and doublets

Descendants and derived words

banowi (Kashubian)

Sources

Updated October 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris