Where does “scrape by” come from?
scrape by (English) comes from English by, from Middle English by, from Old English bī, from Proto-West Germanic bī, from Proto-Germanic bi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂n̥tbʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énts — on, onto.
scrape by (English): To only afford the essentials; to barely sustain oneself
Definitions
- To only afford the essentials; to barely sustain oneself
Ancestry of “scrape by”, step by step
scrape by traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English by
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | by | Near or next to; From one side of something to... |
| 2 | Middle English | by | be |
| 3 | Old English | bī | lullaby!; near, by; by, near, around |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | bī | by, at; near, around |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
via English scrape
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | scrape | To draw (an object, especially a sharp or angular one), along (something) while exerting pressure |
| 2 | Middle English | scrapen | to scrape |
| 3 | Old English | scrapian | to scrape, scratch |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *skrapōn | to scrape |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skrapōną | to scrape, scratch |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | skreb- | to engrave |