Where does “screen” come from?
Screen comes from Middle English scren, from Old French escran, from Middle Dutch scherm, from Old Dutch skirm, from Proto-Germanic skirmiz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-.
screen (English): A physical divider intended to block an area from...
Definitions
- A physical divider intended to block an area from...
Ancestry of “screen”, step by step
screen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English scren
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | scren | — |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | escren | firescreen, the tester of a bed; Alternative form... |
| 3 | Old French | escren | Alternative form of escran |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | scherm | protective screen; protection, cover |
| 5 | Old Dutch | skirm | protection |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | skirmi | fur, hide, pelt; covering, shelter, screen |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | skirmiz | fur, hide, pelt; covering, shelter, screen |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱer- | to caw, crow |