Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “sharpish” come from?

sharpish (English) comes from English sharp, from Middle English scharp, from Old English sċearp, from Proto-West Germanic skarp, from Proto-Germanic skarpaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kerb-, from Proto-Indo-European sḱer- — to caw, crow.

sharpish (English): Somewhat sharp; Somewhat sharp; not blunt;...

Definitions

  1. Somewhat sharp; Somewhat sharp; not blunt;...

Ancestry of “sharpish”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsharpTerminating in a point or edge, especially one...
2Middle Englishscharpsharp
3Old Englishsċearpsharp
4Proto-West Germanicskarpsharp
5Proto-Germanicskarpazrough
6Proto-Indo-European(s)kerb-rough, sharp
7Proto-Indo-Europeansḱer-to caw, crow

Words derived from “sharpish”

  • sharpishly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sḱer- →