English
Ober
Ober comes from German Ober ‘waiter’, from Medieval Latin cellenarius ‘(wine) cellar administrator’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- ‘to cover’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱel-‘to cover’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcella‘closet, hut, granary’by way of Latin *cellārius
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcellārium‘pantry’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500cellenarius‘(wine) cellar administrator’
- Old High Germanc. 750–1050kelnere
- Middle High Germanc. 1050–1350kelnære
- Germanc. 1650–presentKellner‘waiter’
- German, derivedc. 1650–presentOberkellner‘head waiter’
- German, derivedc. 1650–presentOber‘waiter’
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱel-‘to cover’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEcella‘closet, hut, granary’by way of Latin *cellārius
- Late Latinc. 200–600 CEcellārium‘pantry’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500cellenarius‘(wine) cellar administrator’
- Old High Germanc. 750–1050kelnere
- Middle High Germanc. 1050–1350kelnære
- Germanc. 1650–presentKellner‘waiter’
- German, derivedc. 1650–presentOberkellner‘head waiter’
- German, derivedc. 1650–presentOber‘waiter’
- Englishtodaysame form
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- ‘to cover’
hell, color, hall, hole, ceiling, hull, helmet, hollow, halt, holder, cellular, helm, holden, conceal, uphold, occult, clandestine, cellulose, sari, sala, cellulite, cilia, recline, declination, declension, tricolour, holing, haugh, cella, seel, hele, halberd, 32 more
through Latin cella ‘closet, hut, granary’
through Late Latin cellārium ‘pantry’
Today it means
name A surname from German.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱel- / Ober