Where does “sharpling” come from?
sharpling (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.
sharpling (English): A stickleback
Definitions
- A stickleback
Ancestry of “sharpling”, step by step
sharpling traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sharp
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sharp | Terminating in a point or edge, especially one... |
| 2 | Middle English | scharp | sharp |
| 3 | Old English | sċearp | sharp |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | skarp | sharp |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skarpaz | rough |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kerb- | rough, sharp |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱer- | to caw, crow |
via English Ling
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ling | Any of various codlike saltwater fish often used as food by humans, those of the genus Molva, in the family Lotidae |
| 2 | Middle English | ling | Any of various varieties of heather or broom |
| 3 | Old Norse | lyng | heather, ling |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lingwą | heather, ling |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰom | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰ- | light, agile, nimble; light, not heavy, agile,... |