weiß (German)

Where does "weiß" come from?

The German word 'weiß' traces its origins back to the Proto-Indo-European root '*ḱweytos', which meant 'bright' or 'shine'. Over time, this concept evolved through Proto-Germanic and Old High German as '*hwītaz', eventually anchoring itself as the modern German term for the color white.

Full etymology tree

• weiß (German), 'white'
  • inherited wīȥ (Middle High German)
    • inherited wīȥ (Old High German)
      • inherited *hwīt (Proto-West Germanic), 'white'
        • inherited *hwītaz (Proto-Germanic), 'white'
          • inherited *ḱweytos (Proto-Indo-European)
          • inherited *ḱweytōr (Proto-Indo-European)

Direct ancestors

• wiz (Old High German)
• hwīt (Proto-West Germanic)
• hwītaz (Proto-Germanic)

Updated July 2026

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