Where does “scurry” come from?
Scurry derives from English hurry-scurry, a rhyming reduplication of English hurry, which comes from Middle English horien and hurren, ultimately tracing to Proto-Germanic hurzaną and Proto-Indo-European ḱers-.
scurry (English): To run with quick light steps, to scamper; A dash
Definitions
- To run with quick light steps, to scamper; A dash
Ancestry of “scurry”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hurry-skurry | To hurry; act hurriedly; A state of confusion and... |
| 2 | English | hurry | Rushed action; Urgency; an incidence of a... |
| 3 | Middle English | horien | to rush, impel |
| 4 | Middle English | hurren | to buzz; to vibrate rapidly, buzz |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hurzaną | to rush |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱers- | to run |