Where does “sea strawberry” come from?
sea strawberry (English) comes from English strawberry, from Middle English strawbery, from Old English strēawberġe, from Old English strēaw, from Proto-West Germanic strau, from Proto-Germanic strawą, from Proto-Indo-European strew-, from Proto-Indo-European sterh₃- — sterile, infertile.
sea strawberry (English): A soft coral of species Gersemia rubiformis (syn. Alcyonium rubiforme) in the family Nephtheidae, found in the northwest Atlantic
Definitions
- A soft coral of species Gersemia rubiformis (syn. Alcyonium rubiforme) in the family Nephtheidae, found in the northwest Atlantic
Ancestry of “sea strawberry”, step by step
sea strawberry traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English strawberry
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | strawberry | The sweet, usually red, edible fruit of certain... |
| 2 | Middle English | strawbery | A strawberry |
| 3 | Old English | strēawberġe | strawberry |
| 4 | Old English | strēaw | straw |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | strau | straw |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | strawą | straw |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | strew- | to spread, to strew |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sterh₃- | to spread, extend, stretch out |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | ster- | sterile, infertile |
via English sea
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sea | A large body of salt water; A lake, especially if... |
| 2 | Middle English | see | sea, ocean; A body of water, a lake; seat, chair |
| 3 | Old English | sǣ | sea, lake |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | saiwi | sea |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | saiwiz | sea, ocean |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | sīhwaną | to filter |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | seykʷ- | to moisten; to filter |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sey- | to be wet; dribble; run; to stretch one's arm;... |