Where does “serif” come from?
Serif comes from English ceriph, of unknown ultimate origin and meaning.
serif (English): A short line added to the end of a stroke in...
Definitions
- A short line added to the end of a stroke in...
Ancestry of “serif”, step by step
serif traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Sheriff
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Sheriff | (High Sheriff) An official of a shire or county office, responsible for carrying out court orders, law enforcement and other duties |
| 2 | Middle English | shirreve | A sheriff; an individual responsible for a number... |
| 3 | Old English | scīrġerēfa | shire-reeve; sheriff |
| 4 | Old English | sċīr | bright; shire; county |
| 5 | Old English | burna | stream |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | brunnō | well, spring |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | brunnô | source; wellspring; fountain; brook; stream;... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰréh₁wr̥ | well, spring, source |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrewh₁- | to boil; to brew |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰer- | to bear, carry |