Where does “screenname” come from?
screenname (English) comes from English screen, from Middle English scren, from Anglo-Norman escren, from Old French escren, from Middle Dutch scherm, from Old Dutch skirm, from Proto-West Germanic skirmi, from Proto-Germanic skirmiz — to caw, crow.
screenname (English): a string of characters used to identify a user of...
Definitions
- a string of characters used to identify a user of...
Ancestry of “screenname”, step by step
screenname traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English screen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | screen | A physical divider intended to block an area from... |
| 2 | Middle English | scren | — |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | escren | firescreen, the tester of a bed; Alternative form... |
| 4 | Old French | escren | Alternative form of escran |
| 5 | Middle Dutch | scherm | protective screen; protection, cover |
| 6 | Old Dutch | skirm | protection |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | skirmi | fur, hide, pelt; covering, shelter, screen |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | skirmiz | fur, hide, pelt; covering, shelter, screen |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱer- | to caw, crow |