Skip to content

entstammen

originate from

verb ent-SHTAH-men Less Common
Communication Speech

Also means

descend from

Usage Note

entstammen is a slightly formal verb meaning to come or descend from a source, family or era, and it governs the dative (einer alten Familie entstammen). The prefix ent- here is inseparable, so it never splits off the stem the way separable prefixes do. It often appears in writing about lineage, traditions or the provenance of an idea.

Examples

"Diese Sitte entstammt dem Mittelalter."

Natural Translation

This custom originates from the Middle Ages.

Literal Translation

This custom originates-from the Middle-Ages.

Explore German by topic