Where does “sharp” come from?
Sharp comes from Middle English scharp, Old English sċearp, Proto-Germanic skarpaz, and Proto-Indo-European (s)kerb-, (s)ker-, and sek-, all related to cutting or scraping.
sharp (English): Terminating in a point or edge, especially one...
Definitions
- Terminating in a point or edge, especially one...
Ancestry of “sharp”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | scharp | sharp |
| 2 | Old English | sċearp | sharp |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | skarp | sharp |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | skarpaz | rough |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kerb- | rough, sharp |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱer- | to caw, crow |
Words derived from “sharp”