Where does “search-fu” come from?
search-fu (English) comes from English search, from Middle English serchen, from Old French cerchier, from Latin circō, from Latin circā, from Latin circum, from Latin circus, from Ancient Greek κρίκος — dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth.
Ancestry of “search-fu”, step by step
search-fu traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English search
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | search | An attempt to find something; The act of... |
| 2 | Middle English | serchen | To search, to try to find; to scour; To research;... |
| 3 | Old French | cerchier | to search; to seek; to look for |
| 4 | Latin | circō | to traverse, go about |
| 5 | Latin | circā | — |
| 6 | Latin | circum | about, around; in a circle, all around, on both... |
| 7 | Latin | circus | a circular line or orbit; circle, ring; a... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | κρίκος | ring |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱer- | dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth |