Where does “sheep's eye” come from?
sheep's eye (English) comes from English sheep, from Middle English sheep, from Old English sċēap, from Proto-West Germanic skāp, from Proto-Germanic skapą, from Proto-Germanic skapjaną, from Proto-Indo-European skab- — to cut, split, hew, shape; to cut, split, carve,...
sheep's eye (English): A secretive, pining look, or humble doting glance
Definitions
- A secretive, pining look, or humble doting glance
Ancestry of “sheep's eye”, step by step
sheep's eye traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English sheep
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sheep | A woolly ruminant of the genus "Ovis"; A timid,... |
| 2 | Middle English | sheep | sheep |
| 3 | Old English | sċēap | sheep |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | skāp | sheep |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skapą | shape |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | skapjaną | to make, to create; to shape |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | skab- | to cut, split, hew, shape; to cut, split, carve,... |
via English Eye
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Eye | A place name |
| 2 | English | -some | Characterized by some specific condition or... |
| 3 | Middle English | -som | some; having a specific quality |
| 4 | Old English | sum | some |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *sum | some |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | sumaz | some (one), a certain (one) |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sem- | together, one |