Weichbild

Meaning

city area

Concepts

municipal area

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈvaɪ̯çbɪlt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle High German: wīchbilde

In summary

From northern Middle High German wīchbilde (14th c., earlier also wīcbilde), from Middle Low German wîkbelde (12th c.). The first part of the compound is equivalent to Old High German wīh, from Proto-Germanic *wīkō, from Latin vīcus. The second part is of uncertain origin, but probably from a word for “law”, related with German billig (“appropriate”), Unbill (“injustice”); such that Weichbild originally referred to the areas where the municipal law of a city was in effect.