Where does “oversharpen” come from?
oversharpen (English) comes from English over, from Middle English over, from Old English ōfer, from Proto-West Germanic obar, from Proto-Germanic uber, from Proto-Indo-European upér, from Proto-Indo-European upó, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp-.
oversharpen (English): To sharpen too much
Definitions
- To sharpen too much
Ancestry of “oversharpen”, step by step
oversharpen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English over
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | over | Discontinued; ended or concluded; Thoroughly;... |
| 2 | Middle English | over | riverbank, seashore, brink |
| 3 | Old English | ōfer | riverbank, seashore, brink, edge, margin, border |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | obar | over, above |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | uber | over; over, above |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | upér | above; over |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |
via English sharpen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sharpen | To make sharp; To become sharp |
| 2 | English | sharp | Terminating in a point or edge, especially one... |
| 3 | Middle English | scharp | sharp |
| 4 | Old English | sċearp | sharp |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | skarp | sharp |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | skarpaz | rough |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kerb- | rough, sharp |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱer- | to caw, crow |