Where does “shearing” come from?
Shearing comes from Middle English scheryng, from Old English -ing and -ung suffixes attached to Proto-Germanic skeraną meaning "to cut," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)ker- and sek- meaning "to cut or sever."
shearing (English): Tending to cut or tear; present participle of...
Definitions
- Tending to cut or tear; present participle of...
Ancestry of “shearing”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | scherynge | — |
| 2 | Middle English | scheren | To cut; to slash or slice with a blade or sharp... |
| 3 | Old English | sċieran | to cut |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | skeran | to shear, to cut |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skeraną | to shear |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | sḱer- | to caw, crow |
Words derived from “shearing”