Where does “screwdriving” come from?
screwdriving (English) comes from English screw, from Middle English screw, from Old French escroue, from Latin scrofa, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kerbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.
screwdriving (English): The work of fastening or loosening a screw with a...
Definitions
- The work of fastening or loosening a screw with a...
Ancestry of “screwdriving”, step by step
screwdriving traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English screw
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | screw | A device that has a helical function; The motion... |
| 2 | Middle English | screw | — |
| 3 | Old French | escroue | nut, cylindrical socket, screwhole; scroll, strip... |
| 4 | Latin | scrofa | sow |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kerbʰ- | to scratch, scrape |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |