Where does “sharpshooter” come from?
Sharpshooter derives from English sharp, from Middle English scharp, from Old English sċearp, from Proto-Germanic skarpaz, tracing ultimately to Proto-Indo-European sek-, meaning to cut.
sharpshooter (English): A person trained to shoot precisely with a rifle;...
Definitions
- A person trained to shoot precisely with a rifle;...
Ancestry of “sharpshooter”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | Scharfschütze | sniper |
| 2 | German | scharf | sharp; able to cut; sharp; sharp; in focus |
| 3 | Middle High German | scharpf | — |
| 4 | Old High German | scarf | sharp |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | skarp | sharp |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | skarpaz | rough |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kerb- | rough, sharp |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱer- | to caw, crow |