Where does “scrimshaw” come from?
scrimshaw (English) comes from English scrimshank, from English scrimp, from Middle Low German schrimpen, from Proto-Germanic skrimpaną, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kerbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, from Proto-Indo-European sek- — to cut, cut off, sever.
scrimshaw (English): The manufacture of handicrafts by sailors on long...
Definitions
- The manufacture of handicrafts by sailors on long...
Ancestry of “scrimshaw”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | scrimshank | To shirk duty |
| 2 | English | scrimp | A pinching miser; a niggard; To make too small or... |
| 3 | Middle Low German | schrimpen | to shrivel up, shrink; to shrivel up, wrinkle |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | skrimpaną | to contract, to shrink |
| 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 |