Where does “sheep” come from?
Sheep comes from Old English sċēap, from Proto-Germanic skēpą, a word of uncertain ultimate origin and meaning.
sheep (English): A woolly ruminant of the genus "Ovis"; A timid,...
Definitions
- A woolly ruminant of the genus "Ovis"; A timid,...
Ancestry of “sheep”, step by step
sheep traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English sheep
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sheep | sheep |
| 2 | Old English | sċēap | sheep |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | skāp | sheep |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | skapą | shape |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skapjaną | to make, to create; to shape |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | skab- | to cut, split, hew, shape; to cut, split, carve,... |
via Middle English schep
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | schep | sheep |