Where does “sheepflesh” come from?
sheepflesh (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,...
sheepflesh (English): The meat or flesh of sheep; mutton
Definitions
- The meat or flesh of sheep; mutton
Ancestry of “sheepflesh”, step by step
sheepflesh 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 flesh
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | flesh | The soft tissue of the body, especially muscle... |
| 2 | Middle English | flesh | flesh; A communion wafer; A muscle |
| 3 | Old English | flǣsċ | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | flaiski | meat, flesh |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | flaiski | meat, flesh |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pleh₁ḱ- | to tear, peel off; to tear, rend |