bana (Silesian)
Where does "bana" come from?
The Silesian noun 'bana', meaning 'rail' or 'train', was borrowed from the German word '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 derives from the Proto-Indo-European '*gʷʰon-eh₂', springing from the root '*gʷʰen-' meaning 'to strike, kill'[3].
Open questions
- The Old High German form '*bana' and the Proto-Germanic form '*banō' are reconstructed rather than directly attested. [2] [3]
Full etymology tree
- bana (Silesian), 'rail, railway'
- 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'
- inherited *gʷʰon-eh₂ (Proto-Indo-European)
- inherited *banō (Proto-Germanic), 'a battlefield'
- inherited *banu (Proto-West Germanic)
- inherited *bana (Old High German)
- inherited ban (Middle High German)
- borrowed Bahn (German), 'route, trail'
Ancestors
Cognates and doublets
Sources
Updated October 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris