Where does “erd shrew” come from?
erd shrew (English) comes from English erd, from Middle English erd, from Old English eard, from Proto-West Germanic ard, from Proto-Germanic ardiz, from Proto-Indo-European h₂erh₃-, from Proto-Indo-European h₁er- — earth.
erd shrew (English): A common shrew (Sorex araneus)
Definitions
- A common shrew (Sorex araneus)
Ancestry of “erd shrew”, step by step
erd shrew traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English erd
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | erd | Alternative form of earth |
| 2 | Middle English | erd | Native land, homeland, home; character; nature;... |
| 3 | Old English | eard | homeland, native soil; one's home, a dwelling;... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | ard | native place |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | ardiz | characteristic; inborn quality; nature;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂erh₃- | to plough |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁er- | earth |