Where does “harp” come from?
Harp comes from Middle English harpe, from Old English hearpe, from Proto-Germanic harpǭ, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kreb-, which derives from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European sek-, meaning to cut or scrape.
harp (English): A musical instrument consisting of a body and a...
Definitions
- A musical instrument consisting of a body and a...
Ancestry of “harp”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | harpe | harp |
| 2 | Old English | hearpe | harp |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | harpǭ | harp |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kreb- | to turn; to touch; to turn, bend, shrink, rotate,... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |
Words derived from “harp”