Where does “jødeharpe” come from?
jødeharpe (Danish) comes from Danish harpe, from Old Danish harpæ, from Old Norse harpa, from Proto-Germanic harpǭ, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kreb-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.
jødeharpe (Danish): Jew's harp
Ancestry of “jødeharpe”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Danish | harpe | harp |
| 2 | Old Danish | harpæ | — |
| 3 | Old Norse | harpa | compress; to grip, pinch; harp |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | harpǭ | harp |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kreb- | to turn; to touch; to turn, bend, shrink, rotate,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |