Where does “shear” come from?
Shear comes from Middle English scheren, Old English sċieran, Proto-West Germanic skeran, Proto-Germanic skeraną, and Proto-Indo-European (s)ker-, ultimately from the root sek- meaning to cut.
shear (English): To cut, originally with a sword or other bladed...
Definitions
- To cut, originally with a sword or other bladed...
Ancestry of “shear”, step by step
shear traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English schyre
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | schyre | Alternative form of shire; bright, shimmering,... |
| 2 | Old English | sċīr | bright; shire; county |
| 3 | Old English | burna | stream |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | brunnō | well, spring |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | brunnô | source; wellspring; fountain; brook; stream;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰréh₁wr̥ | well, spring, source |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrewh₁- | to boil; to brew |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰer- | to bear, carry |