Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “carve” come from?

Carve comes from Middle English kerven, from Old English ċeorfan, from Proto-West Germanic kerban, from Proto-Germanic kerbaną, from Proto-Indo-European gerbʰ-, itself from Proto-Indo-European ger-.

carve (English): To cut; To cut meat in order to serve it; To...

Definitions

  1. To cut; To cut meat in order to serve it; To...

Ancestry of “carve”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishkervenTo cut or stab; to slash as to cause cutting or...
2Old Englishċeorfan—
3Proto-West Germanickerbanto carve, to cut
4Proto-Germanickerbanąto cut
5Proto-Indo-Europeangerbʰ-to carve
6Proto-Indo-Europeanger-to turn, bend, twist, wind; to tie, bind...

Words derived from “carve”

  • carving
  • carvery
  • carveout
  • carvable
  • recarve
  • carveable
  • overcarve
  • uncarvable
  • kaving
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ger- →